The Art of Teaching
by xXStillWatersXx
Summary: Kumiko Hishida was an average collge student working three jobs just to pay the rent. When she takes on Yuki Sohma as a piano student her life becomes anything but ordinary as she falls into the bedlam that is the Sohma family.
1. Chapter 1

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 1**

Yuki sighed as he buttoned up his shirt. It was the beginning of his second year at Kaibara High and the school was now requiring that all students be involved in some manner of the arts. He had decided that he would take piano lessons from a private teacher.

"Yuki," Shigure's voice chimed up the stairs, "Ha'ri is here with our ride."

"Oh, that's right! Today is Yuki's first lesson, isn't it?" Tohru suddenly remembered as Yuki came downstairs.

"Indeed it is," Shigure replied.

"Now Miss Honda, are you sure you'll be alright?" Yuki asked.

"I'll be fine, I have Kyo here with me," she answered cheerfully.

"We're off!" Shigure called from the front door.

"Good luck!" Tohru called back.

Yuki leaned his head against the window of the car and started thinking of all the things he would rather be doing. It wasn't that he had something against the teacher or that he didn't like music, it was just that he didn't want to embarrass himself. He had never liked performing and wasn't ready to start now.

"Shigure," Hatori said after a few minutes, "why not just hire a member of the Sohma family?" Shigure sighed.

"Well, I'm afraid that none of the members of our family are musically gifted," he explained. Yuki and Hatori looked at him skeptically. "Besides, it's so much more entertaining to meet new people," he added. After that, the trip was pretty much silent, except for Shigure's pointing out random things on the side of the road, like squirrels and shredded pieces of tires. "Oh, look! There it is!" he exclaimed suddenly.

They pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. When they knocked on the door Yuki was suddenly filled with dread. What if the instructor looked down on him because he had no former musical experience? How could he be expected to learn from somebody like that? All of these questions came to his mind too late. The door opened and what the three of them saw surprised them.

There, standing in the doorway, was a young woman wearing a pair of light blue pants and a long-sleeved red shirt. Her long black hair was pulled into a low pony-tail and her eyes were hued with a dark green, so that they looked almost black.

"Uh, hello, are you Miss Hishida?" Shigure asked after a few awkward moments of silence.

"Yes, I'm Kumiko Hishida, and you must be the Sohmas. Please, come in," she said. They stepped into the small house and looked around. With all of the warm colors like reds and sandy browns and the tasteful decorations, it was obvious that this house belonged to the artistic type. "Well, now that you know me, why don't the three of you introduce yourselves?"

"I'm Shigure, this is Hatori, and this is your new student, Yuki," Shigure explained.

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Kumiko said sweetly. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I think we'll be fine," Hatori stated as Shigure opened his mouth to say something.

"Alright, let me know if you need anything. Shall we?" she asked gesturing to the doorway that led into the small music room. Shigure stayed quiet for a moment and heard Kumiko explaining something about 'middle C' to Yuki and smiled to himself.

"So, Hatori, what do you think about Kumiko?" he asked after another moment of silence. Hatori, who had begun reading as soon as the other two had left the room, looked at Shigure over the top of his wire rimmed glasses.

"She seems to be a good teacher for Yuki, seeing as how she's so close to his age," he answered. Shigure looked at him strangely, and that made Hatori worry.

"She is very beautiful, but she's so young. Oh Ha'ri, you have a crush on Kumiko, don't you?!" he asked enthusiastically. Hatori didn't answer, he only sighed. "I knew it!"

"I really wish you would stop setting people up for your stupid tricks and stop acting like an idiot," he said lamely.

"Stop changing the subject! Wait until Aaya hears this!" Shigure said happily.

"Don't you dare," the more mature cousin said threateningly. The young writer giggled nervously as Hatori returned to his reading.

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A/N: Well, that was fun. I was posting this on Quizilla, but I wanted to post it here so it would have more veiws and I would get more feed back. So tell me what you think. Reveiws are welcome, but flamers will be hit over the head with a fire extiguisher. See you soon!

**-Camie**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 2**

It had been two weeks since Yuki had started his lessons and Kumiko had begun to get to know him better, as well as Shigure and Hatori. She appreciated his maturity and enjoyed his company. He was a very good student, even though the young woman could tell that if it weren't for the fact that his school was making him take the lessons he wouldn't have even considered playing the piano.

She walked through the front door, kicking off her shoes as she went, and tossed her keys onto the coffee table. The girl collapsed on the couch, exhausted.

"What a day," she said to herself, rubbing her temples. "At least I graduate this year." She glanced at the clock on the wall. _Almost 4'o clock…Yuki should be here soon…_ she thought.

Kumiko sighed heavily and went to clean up a bit. She brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her long, dark hair. As she reached into a drawer for a hair band, the door bell rang.

"Shoot," she hissed. "Just a second!" she called, hoping that her guests could hear her. It rang again and she quickly tied up her hair and ran down the stairs. The twenty-three-year-old slid across the hardwood floor and right up to the door, wrenching it open to see the familiar faces of the Sohmas standing in her doorway. However, there were two others that Kumiko didn't recognize.

The first was a short girl with long brown hair that was tied up in a half ponytail, and big green-blue eyes. The second was a boy around Yuki's height, with crimson eyes and bright orange hair.

"Hello, Miss Hishida," Yuki said in his usual formal tone. Kumiko blinked as she realized that she had been staring at the other boy's hair.

"Oh, hello," she replied.

"I've brought some people here to meet you. I hope that's alright," he stated politely.

"Of course, come on in." After the five of them were seated on the couch, with their hostess on an armchair across from them, Yuki proceeded to introduce the two other teens.

"I'd like you to meet Miss Tohru Honda," he said gesturing to the girl, "and this is my cousin Kyo Sohma."

"Hello, Kyo, Tohru," she said, committing their names to memory.

"Mm…Hey," Kyo stated uninterestedly.

"It's very nice to meet you," Tohru replied enthusiastically.

"Well, we don't want to keep Yuki from his lesson," Shigure said suddenly.

"Uh…Right, we'll talk some more later. Yuki?" Kumiko said. He nodded and stood up, already heading for the room where the piano was located. "Let me know if you need something," she said to the other four before following Yuki.

She could hear the voices of Shigure and Hatori bantering back and forth before she slid the door shut. The college student giggled slightly, then realized that her student was watching.

"Miss Hishida, can I ask you something?" he inquired hesitantly as she seated herself beside him on the bench.

"Anything," she replied. He touched the piano keys softly.

"Am I…doing well?" Kumiko studied his face. There was something in his eyes that told her he was worried about more than just piano lessons. It was impossible to know what exactly was bothering him so much, but she figured that maybe her answer could take at least a little of the weight off his shoulders.

"I think your progressing quite nicely, Yuki," she answered with a warm smile. He let out a relieved sigh.

"That's good, I was afraid that I was just going around in circles. I can get so frustrated by things like this that I tend to get discouraged very easily. Pretty silly, I know."

"I don't think it's silly. In fact, I felt exactly the same way when I started taking lessons," she stated. "But with your level of determination, I'm sure you'll be a fine pianist in no time at all." He looked at her for a moment, searching his teacher's face for any sign of patronization. When he found none he smiled appreciatively.

The forty-five minutes flew by, and before Kumiko knew it, was back out in the living rooming sipping tea with the Sohmas and Tohru.

"So, Miss Hishida, I don't ever see your roommate around, do you have one?" Shigure asked.

"Not anymore. She left about five months ago," she responded.

"Oh, where is she now?" he asked.

"Prison," she answered quickly. The five of them, Tohru especially, stared at her in shock, mouths agape, while she took another sip of tea.

Yuki was the first to regain his composure. "Hold on, doesn't that mean you're paying the rent all by yourself?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, judging by location and size, and the fact that you' re the only one living here, it must be costing you a lot of money," Shigure said knowingly. She paused as her cup reached her lips. He was right, but she couldn't let _them_ know that.

"Never mind that," she said setting down her tea.

"Are you ever going to have another roommate?" Yuki asked.

"No. You see, my first roommate was expelled, for what I'd rather not know, the second is in rehab, and the third is the one who is currently incarcerated. After the latest incident the Board of Student Housing decided it would be best if I were left without one."

"I suppose that's understandable," Hatori said.

"So Tohru, how do you know the Sohmas?" Kumiko asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, well, actually I live with Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo," she explained, after Shigure nodded to give her the go-ahead.

"Oh, really? I didn't know that you lived with Yuki, Kyo," the older girl said, directing her attention to the orange-haired boy sitting on the end of the sofa.

"It's not like I want to," he replied sharply.

"Don't even start," Yuki said, glaring at him.

"Don't tell me what to do! I don't even know why I came here in the first place!" Kyo exclaimed, his eyes burning with fury.

"No one forced you to come." Yuki was successfully keeping his cool so far, but Kumiko could tell from the strain in his voice that his patience was about to run out.

"You guilted me into it!" the less tolerant cousin yelled, jumping to his feet.

"That was Shigure! Don't think yourself so important that I would even waste my time trying to persuade you to go!" Yuki shouted, getting to his feet as well.

The green-eyed woman raised an eyebrow at the two of them, watching as the fight continued to escalate. Tohru was rushing to each of their sides and trying to calm them down, though her panicky objections were obviously being ignored. Behind them, Shigure and Hatori sat turned away from each other, both with one hand over their eyes in an embarrassed fashion.

"Are they always like this?" she asked Hatori.

"Yes."

"That's it, you're dead!" Kyo shouted, coming at Yuki with his fist raised. Yuki took a step towards Kyo, aiming a kick to his cousin's head. Kumiko had reached your limit.

She lifted herself out of her chair and got in between Yuki and Kyo before either of them could react. She caught Yuki's foot in midair and grabbed Kyo's fist before they could make contact.

"That's enough," she said authoritatively, still not releasing them. A few moments of silence passed.

"Miss Hishida?" asked Yuki from beside her.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly.

"That's alright," she said letting them go. Kyo hung his head, his bangs covering his eyes. With his hands shoved in his pockets, he walked to the entry way and thrust his shoes onto his feet. With unnecessary force, he jerked the door open and walked out.

"Wait, Kyo," Tohru called weakly.

"It's alright Tohru, let him go," Shigure insisted. He turned his attention back to Kumiko. "I must apologize on behalf of Kyo, sometimes he just doesn't now when to say when," he explained with a shrug. "This is really very embarrassing."

"Really, it's fine. Nothing was broken and nobody got hurt, there's no problem at all."

"Well, I think it's time we leave," Hatori stated. The others agreed, and after saying goodbye, they left.

While Kumiko was getting ready for work, even while she was working, one question kept resurfacing in her mind: Why did Kyo seem so angry with Yuki? It was obvious to the young woman that the two had always been rivals, but in what she didn't know.

_Maybe,_ she thought as she carried a plate of food to a table of five, _if I get to know them better, I'll be able to find out why he acts the way he does._

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**A/N: Yay! Chapter two! Remember to reveiw.**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 3**

"Hey, Hishida!" someone yelled in Kumiko's ear. She jumped and squealed.

"What?!" she asked her fellow employee once she had regained her composure.

"Pay attention, you've got costumers," she said. Kumiko sighed and her young friend looked at her curiously. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think that I might take tomorrow off," she told her.

"Good idea. I think I will too," her coworker responded.

"You have tomorrow off, don't you?" The teen laughed slightly and ran her hand through her long blonde hair.

"I meant take a day off from school," she clarified.

"Uotani!" The elder woman scolded.

"Alright, alright, I'll go," she conceded. Uotani knew Kumiko didn't like it when she ditched, and for whatever reason, she actually listened to what her friend had to say. The green-eyed woman nodded in approval and went to go take care of the waiting customers.

Before going to the table, she smoothed out her short skirt as much as possible and pulled it down slightly. Her blue-eyed friend laughed. It was an on going joke that the two of them had together, as they both hated the coffee shop uniforms. While Kumiko asked the couple at the table what they would like, Arisa wore a reminiscent smile.

"Look at them," she said, referring to the young couple, when she was back at the counter and readying the drinks.

"What about them?" Uotani asked.

"They're just…They're so cute!" The blonde let out an exasperated sigh. "I wish I had a boyfriend."

"Wait," she interjected, "you _don't_ have one?" Kumiko shook her head. "Seriously?!"

"Is it so shocking?"

"Yes! I mean, I can understand why I don't have a boyfriend, but you?" She took a deep breath. "I guess it only shows how truly stupid the male species is."

_Home again, home again…_ Kumiko thought as she pulled into her drive way. After unlocking her door and stepping out of her shoes, she tossed her keys onto the coffee table as usual. She flicked on the light in the kitchen and pressed the play button on her answering machine.

"You have one new message," the voice on the machine said. The beep sounded.

"Hey, Kumiko, it's Dad. Your mother and I just wanted to check up on you. Umm…Call us back, okay? Love you sweetie, bye."

"End of messages."

She smiled to herself as she picked up the phone and dialed her parents' number.

"Hello?" said the sweet voice of her mother.

"Hey, Mom," she replied. Kmiko could hear the smile in her voice.

"Is that my baby girl?"

"Yes." _Here it comes…_ she thought. Her mother squealed joyfully.

"You called just in time! Your brother is here too. Here, I'll put you on speaker," she replied.

"Kumiko!" someone yelled into the phone.

_No need for voice recognition on that one. _"Nori!" she greeted excitedly.

"Oh, it's on speaker…No wonder your voice is so loud."

_Yep, that's Nori. _"How've you been?"

"Pretty good. You still don't have a boyfriend, do you?" The muscian frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a new voice.

"Nori, don't tease your sister," said her father.

"Hi Dad!"

"Hey, sweetie. So, _do you_ have a boyfriend?" She sweat dropped. What was with these people, first Uotani now this? She sighed, knowing that her family (well, three out of four, anyway) was listening intently for the answer.

"No," she sighed. Kumiko felt like there was a studio audience was on the other end of the line as a loud 'Aw!' sounded.

"Well, there's no need to worry about it," her mom soothingly, reminding her of her teenaged days.

"I don't need a pep-talk Mom."

"It's probably for the best anyway, I might be tempted to break their legs," Nori said menacingly.

"You will not!"

"Hey, I'm your big brother; I'm just doing my job."

"Can we change the subject, please?" she begged.

"How's the job going?" her dad inquired.

"Which one?"

"The teaching one," he replied.

"It's good. I'm just glad that Yuki is so mature."

"I keep telling you we can help out with money. You don't have to do this to yourself," her mother stated as she walked to the fridge and opened it.

"And I keep telling _you_ no way. I don't want to suck up your retirement money," she explained as she pulled out a carton of milk.

"Come on, your brothers let us help _them_," her father interjected.

"And therein lays the difference between us. I've got to go; I'll talk to you guys later. I love you."

"Love you too," the three said in unison.

"Bye." Kumiko pressed end, and put the phone back on the charger. After pouring herself a glass of milk she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. She turned on the television and took a sip of her drink. A romantic comedy was playing out on the screen.

"Just my luck," she sighed to herself. As much as she wanted to change the channel, she couldn't. It was a painful reminder of what she didn't have, and she longed to be the girl on the television.

Kumiko suddenly felt inspired by her loneliness, and snatched her notebook and pen off of the coffee table. As she began to write, a series of notes began to play out in her head.

After a while she looked up at the clock. _Oops…_ she thought, while rubbing the back of her head. It was 1:45 AM. _Now I'm definitely taking tomorrow off._

Kumiko took a deep breath of the fresh morning air as she walked through town, the warm sunlight bathing her skin.

"Good morning, Miss Hishida," an old man called from behind his small fruit stand.

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Yamamoto," she replied politely. "Where's your grandson?"

"I'm right here!" a little boy around the age of four said, emerging from behind a stack of wooden crates. His big brown eyes lit up and he quickly attached himself to the pianist's leg with a tight hug.

"Hey, there you are Yoshi!" she greeted him excitedly, ruffling his mahogany hair.

"Hi, Miss Hishida," he replied. "How come you're not at school?" he asked curiously. He let go of her leg and she bent down so that he was at eye-level.

"That's because, in college, students don't have classes everyday. Speaking of school, how's your reading coming?" The little boy scowled.

"Bad. I can hardly read anything," he said sadly, hanging his head. She looked over at Mr. Yamamoto, who shrugged.

"Hey, chin up. You're only four years old, after all. Just keep at it, you'll get it soon," she said encouragingly.

"Promise?" he asked skeptically.

"I promise. Listen, I've got to get my shopping done, but I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright, see you later," he said, as she stood up.

"Bye, Mr. Yamamoto," she called as she started walking away.

"Goodbye."

Kumiko sighed to herself as she wandered down the isles of the grocery store. "Let's see…I still need…leeks." The young woman winced slightly when she saw the price. She was worried about having enough money in her account, though she were fairly sure that she could make it through the month.

She pushed the thought from her mind and reached for the first bundle of the vegetables she thought was satisfactory. A hand made contact with her own and they both pulled back quickly.

"Sorry," a familiar voice said. Kumiko's dark green eyes traveled up from the leeks to meet those of Hatori Sohma.

"Hatori?"

"Hm? Oh, Miss Hishida," he said, his voice sounded distant, but she ignored it.

"It's good to see you again. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," he replied quickly, as though he were trying to keep something hidden from her. "What about you?"

"I can't complain. Have you seen Yuki lately?"

"Not since his last lesson."

_This conversation is _not_ going well,_ the young woman thought. His answers were short and he seemed rather distracted. This bothered her, he usually at least _pretended_ to be interested in a conversation. She may not have been a psychologist, but she was perceptive. _He'd probably rather be somewhere else, but before I let him go, I just want to ask him one thing…_ "Hey…Are you okay?" she asked him suddenly.

"I thought I had answered that already. I'm fine," he repeated with a slightly annoyed tone. "I'm perfectly healthy."

"That's not what I mean. I mean are you okay here?" she questioned him quietly, timidly putting a finger to his heart. He stared down at her for a moment, completely at a loss for what to say.

"I…I don't…" he stammered, trying to come up with a good answer. "I don't think you know me well enough to make that assumption." Kumiko let her hand drop back to her side, a small smile gracing her lips.

"You're right, it wasn't my place," she replied sweetly. "But, if you're ever _not_ okay, will you do me a favor? Will you talk to somebody about it?" Hatori stared at her, confused. After a moment he gave a dazed nod, making her grin wider. "I appreciate that. Goodbye now, Hatori," she said, grabbing a bundle of leeks, quickly shoving them into a plastic bag, and turning on her heel to purchase her groceries.

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A\N: Hooray for slice of life chapters! Haha! Reveiws and constructive critism are always very welcome. Flamers shall be hosed down by their local fire departments. Bye!

**-Camie**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 4**

"Good morning, Yuki. Did you sleep well?" Tohru asked, chipper as usual. Yuki plopped down at the table and laid his head down with a groan. The girl just smiled at him.

"Ah, Good morning Tohru," Shigure greeted her happily. "How are we this fine morning?"

"I'm fine. Oh, do you think I might be able to come with you to Yuki's lesson today?"

"I don't see why not," he replied. She turned her blue-green eyes to Yuki—who seemed to have shaken off the grogginess that had over taken him earlier—for approval.

"Of course. It's always a pleasure to have you come along Miss Honda."

"But, I have to wonder, why is it that you want to go?" the older cousin asked.

"Well, truthfully, I want to get to know Miss Hishida better. She seems like such a sweet person."

"I guess that means I have to go?" Kyo asked, annoyed.

"N-no, you don't have to come if you don't—" Tohru stuttered.

"Forget it," he interrupted, "It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Just don't make a scene like last time," Yuki remarked coldly. Kyo scowled.

"Shut up!"

School had finally ended and Hatori had come straight to the school to pick every one up. Much to Kyo and Yuki's chagrin Shigure was already in the car, a large grin plastered on his face as he stared longingly out the window, quietly singing a song that they hoped nobody else could hear;

"High school girls,

High school girls,

All for me,

High school girls!"

"I can't believe no one's thrown you in jail yet," Kyo muttered as he climbed into the car.

It was strange, but on that particular day, Yuki was actually half-way looking forward to his lesson. He thoroughly enjoyed the fact that every time he would sit down at his keyboard he could hear himself improving. To him it was like math; the knowledge would keep building on itself until he was able to move on to the next concept.

_I guess practice really_ does_ make perfect._

The sound of the door bell alerted Kumiko to her guests as she was washing her dishes. After drying a plate, she quickly made her way to the door and yanked it open.

"Hi," she said to them brushing a few stray hairs from her eyes.

"Hello, Kumiko!" Shigure chimed happily.

"It's good to see you all again. Come in," she opened the door wider and stood back to let them in. "How have you all been?" she asked, deliberately making eye contact with Hatori. He looked back at her blankly, apparently unsure of how to respond.

"I've been catching up on my reading," Shigure said, drawing the young teacher's attention from the man before her, who took the opportunity to whip out his glasses and bury himself in his book.

"Shouldn't you be catching up with your _writing_?" Yuki inquired, his tone near scolding.

"You just don't understand the life of a creative writer," he responded indignantly. Kyo opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by another ring of the door bell. Kumiko cocked an eyebrow.

"Huh. I wonder who that is…" she pondered aloud. She opened the door to reveal a man in a mud brown button up shirt and matching slacks.

"Kumiko Hishida?" he asked.

"That's me," she replied.

"Package for you. Just sign here," the man said handing her a clipboard with a pen attached to it by a piece of yarn. She scribbled down her name and traded the clipboard for a medium sized cardboard box. "Have a nice day," he said, heading back to his truck.

She pushed the door closed with her foot and stared down at the box in her arms, confusion creasing her brow.

"What is it?" Tohru asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure," the confused young woman answered honestly. Her eyes suddenly lit up when she saw the return address; her parents' address. "Oh!" Kumiko knelt down immediately and tore off the tape. "I hope this is what I think it is," she said as she opened the box. "Yes! Finally!"

The others gathered around her and peered inside.

"Books?" Kyo asked incredulously. She wagged a finger in his face.

"Not just any books my young friend. These are my prized music books," she explained pulling one out to show them. "My mom finally got around to sending them to me."

Yuki studied the book held out to them. "This is in English," he observed.

"Indeed it is," she replied simply.

"Do you speak it?" Tohru inquired.

"Fluently."

"Really?! That's amazing!" the teen exclaimed.

"It's not that big of a deal. You guys are learning it in school right?" the dark haired girl asked, trying to diminish her accomplishment. She ha never been one for boasting.

"Yes, but to be able to fully understand it is incredible," she praised.

"Well, thank you."

"If you don't mind my asking, why didn't you buy the translated version?" Shigure questioned.

"I like to keep music in its original form. That way, its true meaning isn't lost," Kumiko clarified thoughtfully. Hatori glanced at the books cover. The picture was one of a woman in a light purple ball gown and a man in traditional Siamese dress dancing in what appeared to be a palace.

"The King and I," he read aloud. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."

"It's my favorite musical of all time," she said fondly.

"Then, you wouldn't mind singing a song for us?" Shigure requested suddenly. She looked up at him, taken aback.

"That sounds like a good idea," Yuki added.

"Oh, I…I don't know…" she said hesitantly.

"Oh please will you?" Tohru begged. "I'd love to hear you sing." Her large eyes shimmered pleadingly. The college student sighed reluctantly.

"Well…I guess I could." She took the book from Kyo's hands and walked into the music room, motioning for them to follow.

As the others filed into the room and gathered around the piano, she sat down on the bench and flipped through the pages.

"Ah, this seems good," she stated. "Before I start; do you want me to translate it?" They looked at each other, searching one another's faces for the answer.

"I think we'll all understand it well enough," Hatori said quietly as he set his book down on a small table. She nodded and focused on the sheet music.

"Keep in mind that I haven't seen this music in a while," the musician remarked sheepishly as she began to play the introductory notes and speak the first few lines.

_It's a very ancient saying,_

_But a true and honest thought,_

_That if you become a teacher,_

_By your pupils you'll be taught._

The music began to flow through the room and she started to sing, her beautiful, lilting voice filling the air.

_As a teacher I've been learning—_

_You'll forgive me if I boast—_

_And I've now become an expert,_

_On the subject I like most._

Kumiko looked up at them with a small grin.

_Getting to know you._

Shigure and Tohru giggled in response.

_Getting to know you,_

_Getting to know all about you._

_Getting to like you,_

_Getting to hope you like me._

_Getting to know you,_

_Putting it my way,_

_But nicely,_

_You are precisely,_

_My cup of tea._

_Getting to know you,_

_Getting to know all about you._

_Getting to like you,_

_Getting to hope you like me._

_Getting to know you,_

_Putting it my way,_

_But nicely,_

_You are precisely,_

_My cup of tea._

_Getting to know you,_

_Getting to feel free and easy._

_When I am with you,_

_Getting to know what to say._

_Haven't you noticed,_

_Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?_

_Because of all the beautiful and new,_

_Things I'm learning about you,_

_Day by day._

_Getting to know you,_

_Getting to feel free and easy._

_When I am with you,_

_Getting to know what to say._

_Haven't you noticed,_

_Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?_

_Because of all the beautiful and new,_

_Things I'm learning about you,_

_Day…by…day._

Kumiko finished playing the song with a grin of self-satisfaction on her face. She heard applause erupt from behind her and turned to see everybody in the room—even Kyo—clapping.

"Brava!" Shigure cheered. She blushed slightly.

"That was wonderful," Tohru said happily.

"Thank you," she replied.

"You never mentioned anything about singing," Yuki commented.

"You never asked. Now, we should probably get to the lesson," she suggested. Her student nodded in agreement, and everyone filed out of the room. "Well, that was nerve-wracking."

"Why? You did fine," he said, a smile gracing his features.

"I was just worried that I'd mess up and embarrass myself. Enough chatting, let's get going."

The lesson seemed to go faster than usual. She was happy to learn that Yuki was making very good progress on the song she had assigned to him the previous lesson. He had already gotten through the introduction, although he stumbled over a few notes.

"Very good, Yuki. Just keep working on it, and I'll see you next Tuesday," she said as she led him back to the living room. "It was good seeing you again, Kyo, Tohru." She inclined her head towards them in their respective order.

"You too. I hope you don't mind us coming along," Tohru stated as she slipped her shoes on.

"Of course not, the more the merrier, right?" she responded with a smile. Tohru nodded and grinned. "I'll see you guys later." She shut the door behind them and went back into the music room.

Kumiko sat at the bench and thought for a moment, deciding what to play. She laid her fingers on the keys, having settled for "Nocturne" by Chopin. She was at the climax of the piece when she felt a presence behind her. Her heart beat quickened and her hands stopped short. The young woman gasped as she turned to see the intruder.

"Hatori!" she exclaimed covering her heart. "You nearly scared me to death!"

"Sorry," he apologized, eyes wide. "I didn't mean to intrude. I just forgot my book, and when I knocked you didn't answer, so I let myself in."

"It's okay," she told him, getting to her feet. "I probably shouldn't play so loud next time," she said with a smile.

"You really do have a wonderful talent," he said grabbing his book from where he had left it on the table.

"Thank you." He turned to look at her.

"I'm doing fine, by the way. I…I think I'm getting better…" His voice trailed off. Kumiko gazed up at him with a light of gratitude in her dark eyes.

"I'm glad."

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**A\N: Yay another one!**

**Shigure: Poor Kumiko! Stop breaking into people's houses Ha'ri! 3**

**Camie: Right. Anyway, Reveiws are welcome just don't flame. See you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 5**

Kumiko pinned her badge to her shirt as the manager of August Moon strolled over with his usual over-confident air. He was a young man with dark brown hair and dyed red highlights. His dark eyes peeked out from behind a pair of thick rimmed glasses and held a snobbish gleam.

"Hello Kumiko," he said. "You know, we're pretty busy tonight."

"Yes, Shinichi, I realize that," she replied, bored.

"Here at the August Moon, we provide the best of service, no matter what the circumstances."

"Point being?" she asked him.

"My point is that you're going to have to pull it together! That attitude of yours is causing a real problem around here," he explained haughtily.

"My attitude? What are you talking about?"

"Last week, a customer told me that you completely ignored him when he called you," Shinichi stated triumphantly.

"I wasn't even that guy's server! And he was cat-calling me! Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?!"

"All I know is that it better not happen again! You are really testing my patience here, Kumiko. Now get to work!" he commanded. She turned on her heel and walked swiftly away. She spotted one of the hosts and he waved her over.

"Kumiko, you've got a table of two waiting for a server," he said, pointing at a small table near the back.

"I'm on it," she responded. Time passed slowly as she took the various customers orders. It seemed as though she had worked for hours, but then she glanced at the clock behind the bar. The girl groaned; it had only been forty-five minutes.

"Party of four at booth twelve," a hostess, and friend, stated as she passed her. Kumiko looked over her shoulder at the new patrons and gasped. She grabbed her friend by the shoulder and dragged the hostess behind the bar. The two of them huddled on the floor. She glared at the pianist with narrowed hazel eyes. "What is your problem?!" she asked harshly, getting to her feet. Kumiko pulled her back down.

"Sorry, Naoko, but I can't serve them!" she said earnestly. "Couldn't you get somebody else to do it?"

"Everyone else is busy. Why, what's wrong? Do you know them or something?" The green-eyed girl peeked over the counter and Naoko followed her lead. Sure enough, there sat Shigure Sohma, along with Yuki, Kyo and Tohru. "Hey, the guy in the robe is _cute_. I didn't really notice before." As the pair looked at the four of them, Shigure, who had been teasing Kyo about something, laughed and glanced in their direction. Kumiko's eyes widened and she pulled Naoko back down as she ducked once more. "So, what's the deal?"

"You know how I told you I'm giving piano lessons on the side to help pay my rent?" She nodded and waited for her to continue. "Well the kid in the white shirt is one of my students."

"So?"

"So, Shigure, the guy in the robe, knows I'm living alone. I don't want him to think I'm having trouble with my rent."

"But, you are," she pointed out. "And how would that make him think that anyway?"

"Because he comes to my house when his cousin has a lesson, and knows how much I'm getting paid. If he sees me here and he can guess that this job doesn't pay much, he'll figure out that I have at least three jobs," the anxious waitress explained.

"You're making way too big a deal out of this. He probably won't even think of that, and even if he does, who cares?" she asked.

"I do! And I don't want his pity. So could you please find somebody else, Nao?" Kumiko begged, using her friend's nickname against her.

"You know we're swamped Kumiko! I know for a fact that all the servers are busy, and if you don't get over there soon, Shinichi is going to have your head!" she warned. "I'm sorry, but you'll just have to deal with this one." Kumiko sighed and hung her head.

"Okay," she conceded. Naoko helped her to her feet and pushed the girl towards the booth with an encouraging smile. The group was too engrossed with their current conversation to notice when their waitress appeared at the table. "Welcome to August Moon. My name is Kumiko and I'll be your server this evening," she said pleasantly.

They looked up, their faces a mix of confusion and shock. Shigure was the first to speak.

"Kumiko?"

"Hello, Shigure," she greeted him sheepishly. _This is so embarrassing!_ she mentally screamed.

"I didn't know you worked here," Yuki said, trying to act casual. It was strange to him that his teacher was doubling as their waitress.

"You weren't supposed to know," Kumiko mumbled without thinking. Luckily, none of them heard the comment. "Well, I guess you do now," she replied with a forced grin, this time in a direct response to the teen's statement. "So, are you ready to order?"

As she returned to the table with their food, Shigure managed to catch her attention for a second. It was no more than a small glimmer in his eyes, but she could tell that he felt sorry for her. She quickly looked away and walked briskly toward the front of the restaurant.

"Hey Babe," a deplorably familiar voice called as she hurried past the bar.

"Oh no," Kumiko murmured to herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrinkled her nose in disgust, knowing she had to answer or she would lose her job. She pivoted on her right foot and asked, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Why don't you come and keep me company, Cutie?" he said, patting the bar stool next to him. His drinking buddy on his other side snickered. It was the same guy from the week before, and by the look of him, he hadn't improved on his etiquette. His hooked nose was a drunken shade of red, and his grey eyes held a lustful glint.

"As tempting as that offer sounds," she said in a sarcastic tone, "I have to work."

"Oh, c'mon!" he whined. "Don't do this to me again."

"Sorry," she replied harshly.

"Just take a seat, will ya?" his friend added suddenly. He was just as drunk as the former.

"No."

"You know you want to!" the grey eyed man said getting to his feet and grabbing her wrist in an effort to convince her to sit down.

"Let go," Kumiko ordered him darkly, attempting to jerk her hand free and keep calm. He shook his head.

"Uh-uh," he responded with a sneer.

"Let go of me, creep!" she shrieked, becoming frightened. She kneed him in the groin and he let go instantly, dropping to his knees and whimpering.

The other man looked from Kumiko to his friend and came after her with unsteady steps. She punched him in the nose and kicked his shin. He backed up and fell over the first man, landing flat on his back. She snatched a pitcher of water that someone had left on the bar and dumped it over both of them.

"That ought to cool you two off," she said coldly, throwing the pitcher so that it bounced off the grey eyed man's head.

"What is going on out here?!" Shinichi's angry voice shouted from behind her. She whipped around to face him. "You did this didn't you?!" he accused, jabbing a finger in her face.

"I was defending myself!" she tried to explain as he walked behind her and stooped to help the injured men.

"I don't want to hear it! This was your last chance," he spat.

"You never gave me a first chance!"

"I treat you the same way I treat everybody else around here!" he said in his defense.

"You hate me because I wouldn't go out with you!"

"Th-That's not true!" he stuttered.

"Everyone here knows it is! But, it doesn't even matter anymore, because I quit!" she shouted in his face.

"You can't quit, I was just about to fire you!"

"Too late." She spun on her heal and headed for the door, stopping just before she opened it. "Don't worry," she called back to him so that the whole establishment could hear, "I'm sure some other poor girl will come looking for a job soon enough, and then you'll have a brand new waitress to hit on."

Kumiko sighed and smacked her head on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green. She turned on the radio and the light changed.

"Now how am I going to pay next months rent?" she asked herself as she stepped lightly on the gas. "I couldn't just stick to the status-quo and ignore him, no. I had to let my temper get the best of me!" she reprimanded herself. She

She thought of the look in Shigure's eyes and found herself becoming more and more frustrated. Why did everyone feel sorry for her? Nobody believed that she could handle her own affairs; she couldn't stand it. She wanted to be seen as a responsible, independent young adult, but everybody still treated her like a high school student. Now she would seem even more pitiful to the Sohmas.

**

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A\N: Uh-oh! What's our dear Kumiko's plan now? Reveiws and constructive critism make me happy, so send it on through. No flames; no one likes them. Later!

**-Camie**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 6**

The door to the bookstore swung shut as the owner waved goodbye. Kumiko dropped onto a bench near the window of the shop and cradled her head in her hands.

"There has to be at least one job available in this city," she mumbled to herself, then sighed. "What am I going to do?" Running a hand through her hair, she got to her feet, and made her way back home. Everywhere she applied the position had either already been filled or she just plain didn't get the job.

It had been three weeks since the incident at August Moon and Kumiko had been scrambling for money ever since. She had been working double shifts at the coffee shop as well as trying to find more students. She was even trying to sell her car, though she hadn't had any potential buyers contact her. As if that weren't enough, one of her professors had decided to spring a twenty page essay about the composers of the Baroque period on her, which was due that Friday.

She sneezed. Either someone was talking about her, or all that sleep she had sacrificed to write her still unfinished paper was getting to her immune system.

When she trudged through her front door she didn't even stop to relax on the couch; she walked straight into the tiny music room, sat down at the piano, and began to play a song at random. The girl's head was so fogged with stress that she didn't even realize what she was playing. By some miracle, she managed to hear the doorbell ring at four o'clock sharp.

"Oh, right…" she muttered, remembering Yuki's lesson. "Hi guys," she said when she opened the front door.

"Hello Kumiko!" Shigure answered, stepping inside and removing his shoes. It was just Yuki, Shigure, and Hatori today. She assumed that Kyo and Tohru were at home. "How have you been?" he asked.

"I'm fine," the piano teacher lied. "What about all of you?" she inquired, her eyes flicking to Hatori and back.

"We've been alright," Yuki replied before his cousin could launch into a tirade.

"I'm sorry, I don't have much time to chat today. So, we need to dive right into the lesson." They looked at her strangely; she supposed they were just surprised that she didn't have time to stop and talk. It was a rare occasion that she was too busy. "I hope you understand," she added. "I just have a lot of school work to do."

"No, it's okay," Hatori said after a brief pause. Kumiko smiled gratefully.

"Call me if you need anything," she told them as she and her student slipped into the music room.

The two of them sat at the bench and Yuki's instructor commenced quizzing him on the last lesson. As the time passed, she began to feel more and more exhausted. Yuki sighed as he fumbled over a note.

"It's okay," she assured him. "Here, watch my fingers." She played each note slowly and patiently waited for him to copy.

"Oh, I think I understand it now," he said after repeating the movements a few times. Kumiko's vision suddenly blurred a bit and she began to furiously rub her eyes in an effort to get them to focus again. "Miss Hishida, are you alright?" he asked worriedly when he looked up at her face.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you seem…different today. Are you feeling well?" the violet-eyed boy inquired politely, concern creased his brow.

"I'm okay. I'm just under a little stress is all," she shrugged. She looked back at him and knew he was thinking about the scene at the restaurant. An awkward silence formed between the two. "I think I just need a glass of water," she said to break the tension. "I'll be right back. Keep practicing those notes," she told him as she stood up and headed for the doorway. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and clung to the doorframe for support. _Maybe I really do need some water… _she thought, trying to shake off her light-headedness.

Shigure looked up at her curiously when she walked into the living room, still feeling woozy.

"Done already?" he asked. Kumiko shook her head.

"No, we've still got about t-" she cut herself off when her sight began to blacken around the edges and she put a hand to her forehead, "ten more…" she tried to finish. Herr vision tunneled completely and she could feel herself lurching forward, but could do nothing to stop it. The sounds of Shigure and Hatori's alarmed questions became a distant buzzing. Kumiko landed on the floor in an unconscious heap.

The two older Sohmas ran to her motionless form as the piano keys clanged to a stop. Yuki burst into the room and halted, bewildered. It took him a moment to understand what was going on. The second he did, he rushed to kneel next to Shigure, who had gone into a frenzy over the apparently ill young woman.

"Get out of the way Shigure!" Hatori ordered forcefully. He turned her onto back and put a practiced hand to her forehead. It was just as he had expected, she had a moderately high fever. If he had to guess he would say around 102˚F. He caught his hand lingering on her flushed skin for just a second too long and drew away. He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"What is it, Ha'ri?" Shigure asked anxiously.

"Well, I can't figure out for certain what happened until she wakes up. I've got some questions I need to ask her."

"So what do we do until then?" Yuki questioned.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't know where any of her medical supplies are, or if she even has any, so we can't stay here. But, we can't leave to get anything either, because neither you nor Shigure can drive and I want to be able to keep an eye on her," he explained.

"Then we have only one choice!" the novelist interjected. Yuki and Hatori watched him expectantly. "We must take Kumiko back to my house where she can be properly cared for."

"And how do you expect to get her in the car?" the youngest of the group queried.

"Really, Yuki, you act like I don't have any sense at all," he sniffed. "If we can get her on her feet and support her somehow, we could get her into the car." The others considered this.

"It doesn't look like we have any other options," Yuki admitted.

Dragging an unconscious twenty-three-year-old woman to her feet was easier then they had expected it to be. After getting her up, Hatori and Shigure each took hold of one of her arms and managed to get the girl into the back seat of the car without incident. Once everyone was safely in the car, Hatori took off in the direction of his cousins' home.

Tohru had been sweeping off the porch when they arrived.

"Welcome back—Oh!" she said, startled by the sight of Shigure and Hatori half-walking, half-dragging Kumiko into the house.

"Quick, Miss Honda, get the spare sleeping mat," Yuki told her. She ran quickly to the hall closet, grabbed the mat, and returned to lay it out. The two men lay her on it gratefully.

"Shigure, go get some ice," Hatori commanded as he sat down next to the now occupied sleeping mat. While he was gone, the young doctor looked at his hand; the one he had check her fever with. The sensation of touching her silk-like skin still remained there. He shook his head to push the thought from his mind and checked her fever again. It had stayed about the same during the car ride. Shigure returned with an ice pack and placed it on her forehead.

"What happened?" Tohru asked once she got the chance. "Is she sick? Did she fall?"

"She's sick," Shigure confirmed as they settled around the table. The door slid open to reveal a very annoyed Kyo.

"Hey! What's with all the noise?" he asked gruffly. His crimson eyes scanned the room and widened when they came to rest on the pianist's sleeping figure. "What the heck is going on?!"

"Shut-up, stupid cat," Yuki hissed.

"Why you—" Kyo started.

"Kyo, you really should quiet down. Kumiko is sick," Shigure repeated.

"So you brought her here?"

"Ha'ri wanted to keep her in his sights for a while, but if you ask me—"

"Nobody asked you, Shigure," Hatori interrupted curtly. His cousin huffed and turned away. Tohru spoke up shyly.

"Ah, um…Well, I need to go shopping today, but I don't want to leave if Miss Hishida needs help," she said.

"I think we'll be alright here without you Tohru. Go on, and take Yuki and Kyo with you," the momentarily offended writer instructed.

"Um, okay. I guess we should just go now then," she suggested as she stood. The boys followed her immediately when she walked out of the living room to get her grocery list. Shigure giggled quietly as he leaned his head on his hand.

"Those two follow her like a couple of lost puppies," he said happily when he heard the front door close. Kumiko stirred and the two men's heads jerked over in her direction. She opened her eyes to see two pairs of vaguely familiar eyes staring down at her. She frowned confusedly.

"Kumiko, you're awake!" someone cried a little too loudly, making her head throb.

"Where am I?" she asked, slowly sitting up, the ice pack fell into her lap. She got a better look at the two people with her and recognized them as Shigure and Hatori.

"Whoa, careful," Shigure said, putting a supporting hand on her shoulder. "You're at my house." Before she had time to process his answer, Hatori asked,

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I…passed out," she responded slowly. The young doctor nodded in the affirmative.

"What is your name?" he inquired.

"Kumiko Hishida," she said, becoming slightly alarmed by his interrogation.

"What's his name?"

"Shigure Sohma. What's with all the questions?" she quarried before he could ask another one.

"I'm just making sure you don't have a concussion. I wasn't sure if you hit your head when you fell," he replied calmly. "Shigure, get me a thermometer."

"Uh, but Ha'ri, there's a slight problem with that…I don't know where it is," Shigure said with a sweatdrop.

"Then go find it," Hatori commanded sternly. His cousin walked sullenly away from the living room, whining about how rude Hatori was. "Honestly," he sighed when Shigure was gone. He put a hand to her forehead and she jerked away, not expecting the action.

"Oh," the musician said, realizing her mistake and allowing him to check her fever. His hand was strong and warm against her skin.

"It still hasn't gone down…" he said, talking more to himself than to her. "Miss Hishida, I need to ask you some more questions."  
"Like what?"

"Can you think of anything that might have made you sick? An unusual amount of stress, perhaps?" he suggested.

Kumiko didn't say anything. Hatori had hit the nail on the head, but she didn't want _him_ to know that. He drew in a slow breath.

"It's alright. You can tell me." She looked him in the eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, you got it. I've just been busy with school, so-"

"So you neglected your health?" he interrupted.

"It's not like I did it on purpose!" she defended. The doctor raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know. What I meant by that was that it's not just your school work that has you this stressed. There must be other factors. Are you in any financial trouble?"

"That's not any of your business." Hatori seemed to take that as a yes.

"Miss Hishida, why didn't you tell anyone? I'm sure your parents would be happy to help you," he stated.

"I know they would. That's the problem. I don't want to take away from their retirement. I want to support myself." She frowned, realizing how much she had revealed.

"I think I understand. However, you do need to take it easy for a while, alright?" She nodded.

"Ha'ri! I found it!" Shigure announced as he burst through the door.

"Is it clean?"

"Really, Hatori, you put so little faith in me," he pouted. He handed her the thermometer and she placed it under her tongue. "By the way, Kumiko, you're staying here until you graduate and have a stable job." Her eyes went wide and she spit out the thermometer.

"What?! I can't stay here! I've got to go home and finish my paper, find a job, and—" She was cut off when Shigure got uncomfortably close to her face. The young woman drew back, startled.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said, wagging his finger at her, "I insist. You can finish your paper here, while you're getting better. As for finding a job, if you live here with us you won't have to worry about that; in exchange for giving Yuki's lessons for free, of course."

"But, I-I can't—"

"As a doctor, I think you _should_ stay here. You won't work yourself sick that way," Hatori interjected. Kumiko looked back and forth between the two cousins and sighed.

"I can't. I'm sorry…but I just can't," she said shaking her head and getting to her feet. She stumbled and Shigure caught her by the shoulders.

She sat back down on the sleeping mat and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"At least stay here tonight. It would make all of us feel better if you did." She looked up at Shigure's pleading eyes. Then over his shoulder at Hatori. His eyes were the same as always, but with the slightest of worry hidden within them.

"Okay, fine. But it's just for tonight and then everything goes back to normal," she conceded. The writer grinned triumphantly. "Oh, Hatori, how much do I owe you?"

"Never mind about the cost. I acted on my own," he answered.

"But…Are you sure?" she questioned.

"I'm positive. Now may I please take your temperature?"

"Oh sorry," she laughed, placing the thermometer back in her mouth.

Later that night, after Tohru, Yuki and Kyo had returned and Hatori had gone home, Kumiko lay on the sleeping mat, fast asleep. Tohru had refilled the ice pack and placed it on the older girl's forehead. Everyone was still awake, sitting around the table and talking quietly to each other. Tohru went to join them.

"Three jobs? How did you find that out?" Yuki was saying.

"Simple math, really. She lost her job at the restaurant and I know how much she's getting paid for your lessons," Shigure replied.

"Poor Miss Hishida," Tohru said. "She's worked so hard to make it on her own…"

"I don't get it!" Kyo exclaimed. "Why didn't she just ask someone for help?" Shigure looked past his hot-headed cousin at the sleeping pianist with a small grin on his face.

"You know, Kumiko is like a bird," he stated.

"A bird?" the three teens asked in unison. The writer nodded.

"You see, when a bird is injured or sick, it does it's best to hide it from all the other animals," he explained. "A bird hides its troubles because it doesn't want to die, but Kumiko does it because she doesn't want anyone's pity."

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A\N: Aha! I have defeated the procrastination monster! Thanks to Moda for getting on my case about updating, I needed that. 3 I'm also working on a new FMA story, just as a fun side project(though it has been mutating into something more as of late), so keep an eye out!

**-Camie**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 7**

By the time Kumiko woke up, it was already late morning. At first, she couldn't remember where she was, but her momentary lapse of memory ended when Shigure pounced.

"Ah, and so she awakes," he said from the table, folding a newspaper. She rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you," she replied as casually as possible. "What time is it?" she inquired.

"10:15," the novelist told her.

"What? Why didn't you wake me up?" He took off his glasses and rested his chin on his palm.

"You were so exhausted that I thought it would be good to let you rest," he explained. The young woman got to her feet carefully, putting a hand out like she was a tight rope walker, waiting for another dizzy spell.

Thankfully, it didn't come. She breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and joined Shigure at the table.

"Feeling better?" he assumed.

"Much. Thanks for letting me stay here—even if it was against my will," she said playfully. He grinned in return.

"Tohru left some breakfast in the oven for you," he remembered, standing and going into the kitchen to get it.

_Well, that's uncharacteristic of him,_ the young woman thought as he ducked into the other room. He came back and placed her simple meal of fish and rice on the table along with a pair of chopsticks. She took a small bite and her eyes widened slightly. "Wow! This is great." Shigure nodded in agreement.

"Well, of course. Tohru is a wonderful cook," he said. "By the way, Ha'ri and Tohru went back to your house and got some of your things for you. I think Tohru put your bag on the stairs," he explained as the college senior gobbled down her breakfast.

"They found the spare key, didn't they?" she said between bites.

"Under the plant by the door? Yes," he confirmed. She sighed in disapproval of her own lack of creative ideas for hiding spots.

After finishing her breakfast Shigure gave her a quick tour of the house, showing her where she would be sleeping last: Tohru's room.

"Is that okay with her? I don't want to invade her space," Kumiko worried after he told her she would be rooming with the teen. He laughed.

"Tohru is more than happy to share her room with you. She even offered to take the floor so you could use her bed."

"She doesn't have to do that!" she exclaimed.

"That's what I told her you'd say."

When Shigure finished the tour, he left her alone to let her get cleaned up. After a very refreshing shower, she got dressed and took her time brushing through her long, black hair. Thankfully, someone (probably Tohru) had thought to grab her hairdryer. As she dried her hair she hummed quietly to herself, contemplating Shigure's offer the day before.

_He asked me if I would stay here until I was done with school,_ she reviewed mentally. _But,_ _I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't need their charity; I'm a grown woman for goodness sake!_

When her hair was dry, she quickly wove it into a braid and went back downstairs. She was surprised to hear three voices coming from inside the living room. Two she could identify as Shigure and Hatori, but the third was absolutely foreign to her. It was loud, low-pitched, and melodramatic. Curious, the young woman opened the door.

Her green eyes skipped over the familiar faces of Hatori and Shigure and right to the face of the third. The man's pale skin was off-set by his long white hair and yellow eyes. As if his shocking features weren't enough to set him apart, he wore a rather extravagant red robe. If she had to guess his age, she'd say he was about the same age as Shigure. Although she had never seen this stranger before, there was something familiar about him. The shape of his face, the texture of his hair, and the shape of his eyes all reminded her of someone, but who?

All conversation had stopped when Kumiko had entered the room. The stranger's yellow eyes grew wide when he saw her face. He was up and at her side in a matter of seconds, scrutinizing her.

"Gure! Shame on you for keeping this beauty all to yourself!" the man scolded Shigure loudly. "You too, Ha'ri! Why didn't anyone say anything?" he asked, exasperated.

"I did say something, Aaya!" Shigure defended. The young woman managed to recover from this unprovoked attack before anyone else said anything.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" she inquired confusedly. The man turned his gaze back to her.

"My apologies, my lovely songbird," he said with a low, sweeping bow. "My name is Ayame Sohma. I am Shigure and Hatori's cousin. It is an honor to meet you, Miss Kumiko Hishida." Ayame took her hand and brushed his lips against her fingertips. The black-haired young woman raised her eyebrows in surprise and a light blush swept across her cheeks.

"P-pleasure to meet you," she stammered, feeling flattered.

"Let's not give the girl a heart attack on top of everything else, okay Aaya?" Shigure suggested. The white-haired man let out a hardy laugh and rejoined the other Sohmas at the table. Kumiko did the same, sitting next to Hatori and across from Ayame.

"I'm sorry I startled you Kumiko," the dramatic man said.

"That's okay," she answered with a small laugh. "So Ayame, why the visit?" His eyes brightened.

"Well, when I stopped by Ha'ri's this morning he said he had some business to attend to. Naturally I didn't want to be left behind, so I decided to come along. I never imagined that he was coming to visit a woman! Surely Ha'ri was planning to whisk you away on some romantic outing!" he exclaimed.

"Ayame," Hatori reprimanded firmly. He sighed and turned his attention to the girl beside him. "I only came to check on you," he explained. Kumiko could sense his embarrassment. She laughed.

"Don't worry, I understand. I have two older brothers who like to tease me like that," she told him, as if Ayame wouldn't hear her. Hatori handed her a thermometer, which she promptly placed under her tongue.

"I assure you I'm not teasing Ha'ri!" Ayame replied. Hatori sent a subtle glare in his direction and he immediately moved on to another subject. Finally, the doctor was able to turn his attention to the reason he had come in the first place.

"Have you felt dizzy at all today?" he asked, as he read the thermometer. She shook her head 'no.' "You still have a slight fever. Just take it easy, alright?"

"Fine," she sighed. "How've _you_ been, Hatori? Feeling okay?" He fumbled with his answer for a moment, knowing what she was referring to. She couldn't help but grin as she watched him think of a good answer. _He's so cute when he's stumped,_ she thought absently. _Wait, did I just—?!_

"I…I've been fine," he replied, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh Gure, don't they make a lovely couple?" Ayame asked happily. Shigure touched his thumbs to his forefingers, creating a make-shift frame, and held it so that Kumiko and Hatori were in the middle.

"Just lovely!" he agreed teasingly.

"Oh boy," Kumiko groaned. "Hey, Shigure, can I use your computer to finish my paper?" she inquired suddenly. Their mischief stopped for a moment.

"Oh sure, it's in the room over there." He pointed to a door that was barely visible from where they sat. She gave him her thanks and left the three Sohmas to their own devices.

"Why, she's simply exquisite!" Ayame praised.

"Isn't she though?" the novelist replied. "You should hear her sing."

"Ha'ri, you've heard her sing," the dramatic man stated. "Is her voice really as wonderful as Shigure says?" Hatori studied his cousins' mischievous faces and thought carefully about his answer.

"Miss Hishida has a brilliant gift," he admitted. Despite his calculated answer, Ayame and Shigure launched into another fit of teasing. The physician put his face in his palm, deciding it was best if he just stopped talking.

Kumiko worked furiously for the next two hours to complete her paper. Although she had made very good progress, she still hadn't finished when Hatori interrupted her.

"You need to take a break," he told her. She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "You're going to make your fever worse."

"Five minutes?" she pleaded.

"No," he said with finality. She heaved a sigh of defeat and got up; standing too quickly. She suddenly felt dizzy and there was a pain at the front of her skull.

"Whoa," she said, putting a hand to her forehead and bracing herself against the wall. Hatori stepped forward and caught her shoulder and wrist, steadying her.

"Are you alright?" he asked calmly. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "It was just a head-rush." The young woman stood up straight and he released her. "See? I'm okay," she said, turning to the door that led to the porch and stepping outside into the sunshine. Hatori followed to keep an eye on her—or so he told himself.

Kumiko sat cross-legged on the hardwood deck and looked at her surroundings. The Sohma joined her, crossing his legs one over the other in a professional manner. If she had known him better, she would have laughed and commented on how formal he was being. Instead, she just smiled and continued to gaze out over the landscape.

"Miss Hishida?" Hatori inquired.

"Yeah?"

"I need to discuss something with you," he began.

"Okay…What is it?" she questioned hesitantly.

"I think that you should live here until you graduate." He gauged her reaction carefully, readying his argument. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"Here we go," she sighed to herself.

"Just listen to what I have to say," he insisted. She turned to face him and kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. "If you stay here, you wouldn't have so much to deal with. You wouldn't have to work so much or worry about money as much as you have been. You could even focus more on school," he explained. "You parents wish you would stay here as well," he added quietly. She stiffened.

"How do you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"While we were getting your things, I found your address book by the phone and thought that I should call them. I explained the whole situation," he stated.

"I can't believe you called my parents," she grumbled. He disregarded it.

"It would make everyone feel much better if you stayed here. It would be good for Tohru too; having an older girl around. Someone she could talk to," the doctor said.

"Hatori Sohma, are you trying to guilt me into staying?" she inquired severely.

"No," he defended, flustered. "I was only—" Kumiko grinned and put a hand on his shoulder to get him to look her in the eyes.

"Hatori, relax," the twenty-three-year-old told him with a laugh. "I was kidding." He looked relieved. Her hand fell back into her lap.

"Are you going to stay?" The seriousness returned to the atmosphere.

She thought for a moment. Hatori had made several good points and the only thing she had on her side was her pride. Was it fair to make everyone worry about her? Was it fair for her to allow herself to have this amount of stress? As much as she hated it, she knew the answer to both questions.

"I guess I will," she conceded reluctantly. At that moment, Kyo's angry shouts filled the air, signaling the arrival of the three resident teens. "Perfect timing."

**

* * *

**

A/N: Kya! So Kumiko met Aaya. That makes the whole Mabudachi Trio! I threw in a stuttering Ha'ri for Moda, since she loves it so. =3 Please leave me reveiws, they make me feel special. ^_^ Flamers...just, no...

**-Camie**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 8**

It was chaos in Shigure's living room when Kumiko and Hatori came inside. Kyo was yelling at Ayame, who didn't seem to be hearing a word of the death threats being hurled at him. Much to Kumiko's surprise, Yuki was also screaming at the silver-haired man. Tohru was standing in the doorway looking too startled to know what to do and Shigure was watching the scene from the safety of his seat at the table. No one seemed to notice their entrance.

"Tohru, you're looking as adorable as ever," Ayame was saying. He took a step toward her and immediately, she looked overwhelmed. Yuki stepped between them.

"Brother, you have no right to make her feel uncomfortable like that!" he yelled. It took a moment for the way Yuki had addressed Ayame to register in Kumiko's mind.

"He's…your brother…?" she asked slowly. Everyone paused to look at her in her moment of realization. The green-eyed girl smiled widely and slapped her fist into her palm. "No wonder he seemed so familiar. You guys look so much alike!" she exclaimed. Yuki immediately took on a gloomy air. "I'm sorry. Is something the matter?"

"No," her student replied, the sour look never leaving his face, "it's nothing." Before anyone else could say anything, Hatori stepped in.

"Miss Hishida has something she would like to tell us," he said. She looked up at him sheepishly. He gave her a small nod and she took a deep breath.

"I've decided to stay here until I have things in order," she said quickly. Tohru's wide eyes brightened and she approached the older girl.

"You have? Oh, that's wonderful!" she said enthusiastically, clasping her hands together.

"Indeed it is," Shigure agreed happily as everyone took a seat around the table.

"What made you decide to stay?" Yuki asked curiously, forgetting about his teacher's earlier offense.

She glanced at Hatori. His expression told her he might be a bit embarrassed if she told them he had convinced her to live with his cousin.

"Let's just say I realized that there were more reasons to stay than not to," she responded tactfully.

"Gure, you just want to keep Kumiko all to yourself!" Ayame accused. Shigure opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could say anything Kyo quickly rose to his feet and darted from the room. Kumiko frowned in confusion.

"Ah, Kyo," Tohru said as he left. The red-head ignored her and shut the door.

"What up with him?" the older female asked, gesturing in the direction of the boy's exit. Shigure sighed and leaned his head on his hand.

"I wouldn't worry about it. He's probably just upset because another person is moving in," he explained nonchalantly. The pianist hesitated for a moment.

"Is it really okay for me to move in then? I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable," she told them.

"Don't let it bother you," Yuki interjected. "He'll get over it." Kumiko grinned slightly, feeling a bit reassured.

"I guess I should start making dinner," Tohru announced, standing up.

"I'll help," Kumiko offered. "It'll be my first official task as Shigure's newest tenant."

"Well then, I guess we should be going," Hatori said.

"Aw, but Ha'ri we were having fun," Ayame whined.

"We're leaving," he reiterated, heading to the door. Ayame hopped to his feet then.

"Goodbye everyone!" he called loudly, following his cousin outside. Yuki heaved a sigh of relief as his brother left.

"That man…He's exhausting," Kumiko heard the teen say as she and Tohru went to the kitchen.

The meal was easy enough to make—vegetable soup and left over chicken. The two girls talked and laughed as they chopped carrots, potatoes and miso. After they tossed the vegetables in the waiting broth, Tohru busied herself making tea.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it?" Kumiko inquired as she stirred the soup.

"No, it's okay Miss Hishida," Tohru replied.

"Kumiko," she corrected.

"Eh?" the girl replied confusedly, turning to look at her older companion. The raven-haired young women looked away from the soup and gave Tohru a smile.

"I want you to call me Kumiko," she clarified. The teen looked stunned.

"B-but, are you sure?"

"Of course, we're roommates now, after all. You don't have to be so formal when you're being generous enough to share your room with me," she explained. Tohru smiled brightly.

"Okay, then, Kumiko," she said, as if to test the sound of it.

By the time dinner was ready, night had fallen and Kyo seemed to have cooled his head enough to come and eat. They managed to get through the meal with only one argument between Yuki and Kyo. Once they were finished eating and the dishes were washed, the three teens went off to finish their homework and Kumiko managed to slip away to complete her paper.

Not twenty minutes later, Kumiko hit print and stretched satisfactorily. She gathered her papers together and skipped into the living room happily. Shigure looked up from a crossword puzzle he was bent over.

"Finished?"

"Yep!" she replied, sitting across from him and grinning. He smiled back.

"Good. Here," the man said, handing her the thermometer that was becoming very familiar to her. "Hatori wanted me to keep an eye on your fever." She placed it in her mouth. "By the way, when do you want to get your furniture?" Kumiko took on an embarrassed air.

"Actually, all that stuff came with the dorm," she admitted. "The piano is a rental." Shigure's expression was less than surprised. She seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Do you think I could get a ride to school tomorrow? I have class at noon."

"Certainly. I'm sure Ha'ri can give you a ride and afterwards you can get your things from your place. I'm guessing you need to stop by before school to get your paper as well. I'll be sure to call him first thing in the morning." Kumiko was a little surprised by the man's thorough planning.

"Thanks," she said. After a few minutes she took the thermometer out of her mouth and examined it.

"What does it say?" the novelist asked, carefully taking it from her. "Not too bad. Just be careful." She nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hey, Shigure?"

"Yes?"

"I um…I just wanted to thank you for everything," she said quietly.

"It's no trouble," he replied, setting aside his crossword. "And no matter what Kyo says, we're happy to have you here." He smiled and walked around the table to pat her head. She laughed and smoothed her hand over her hair.

"I'd better move the sleeping mat upstairs," she said, going to the corner where the mat was neatly folded in the corner and waiting for her.

"Do you need any help?" Shigure inquired politely.

"I think there's still another bag on the stairs. Could you grab it for me?"

"Sure thing," he replied, following her to the staircase. He watched cautiously as she made her way up the steps with the large bundle in her arms. He followed as soon as she was halfway up.

Tohru looked up from her desk when Kumiko entered with the bedding.

"Oh, here, let me help you," she offered, getting up. The teacher shook her head and set the sleeping mat down in the corner adjacent to Tohru's bed.

"No, it's alright. Just go on with your homework," she answered. The teenager nodded and went back to work as Kumiko quickly unfolded the mat. She left the room to get her bag from Shigure. As she rounded the corner into the hall, she saw the young writer for a spit second before she ran right into him.

There was a loud _pop!_ and a cloud of smoke. The impact knocked Kumiko backwards onto the floor. Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru all rushed into the hall as the smoke cleared and the pianist looked up to apologize.

"I'm so sorry, are you—?" she cut herself off at the strange and bewildering sight before her. Instead of seeing the man she had bumped into, there was a black dog sitting on a pile of Shigure's clothes. Kumiko jumped to her feet and reeled back in disbelief.

"Shigure?" she questioned dumbly as she continued to back up, bumping into Kyo and Yuki.

_Pop! Pop!_

The woman spun around to see what had happened. This time, there was a grey rat and an orange cat surrounded by another heap of clothing. Her dark eyes went wide and she dropped to her knees in shock.

"Wh-Wh…" she stuttered, "What is going on?!"

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun DUNNN! Sorry It's been so long, guys! I kept meaning to update, but well...Er...Yeah, I got nothing. Just being forgetful I guess. There's a lot going on. I'm actually feeling a bit like Kyo in this story because there are sooo many people in my house. XD But, it's all good. Anyway, chapter 9 is in the works. Reveiws please! Flames? No, thank you. ^-^**

**-Camie**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 9**

How was this happening? This was absolutely impossible! People didn't just turn into animals! And yet, here the situation presented itself to Kumiko like a thespian presents themselves to their adoring audience.

"Y-your delusional!" the black dog shouted suddenly. "Your fever must be making you hallucinate!" It was Shigure's voice speaking to her. Great, now they could talk.

The girl thought for a moment. Being delusional from fever would make sense, but she knew it had to be much higher then it was. And why would she be sane one minute and see things the next? No, the explanation didn't make enough sense for Kumiko.

"I am not hallucinating!" she shot at the dog with Shigure's voice defiantly. "I _saw_ Shigure change into a dog! And—And those are Yuki and Kyo's clothes!" she exclaimed pointing at the clothing the cat and rat were still standing on.

"Nice try Shigure," the rat said sarcastically in Yuki's usual soft, understated tone.

"You see?! This is what happens when you invite _women_ to stay here, idiot!" the cat yelled angrily with Kyo's voice.

"Don't fight—" Tohru tried. She looked as if she was going to have a heart-attack.

"You stay out of this!" the cat spat at her.

"She's right," the canine said. "It won't solve anything."

"Will one of you explain to me what in the world just happened?!" Kumiko demanded, bringing the focus back to the matter at hand. The animals and Tohru looked at her, apparently unsure of how to explain this highly unusual situation. The dog sighed,

"Well, I guess I'll be the one to let the cat out of the bag—so to speak." The cat hissed. The dog approached the young woman and sat in front of her, looking directly into her eyes. "I assume you know about the legend of the Chinese zodiac and how it came to be." She nodded. "For generations, the Sohma family has been living under a curse. Whenever our bodies are stressed or if we are hugged by members of the opposite sex, well, we transform into the twelve animals of the zodiac, with the addition of the cat."

Kumiko stared at him for a moment then turned her gaze to the others. Their eyes were full of earnest. Either she really had gone crazy or they were telling the truth.

"Then, Shigure, you're the dog, Yuki, you're the rat, and Kyo, you're the cat?" she said. Yuki and Shigure nodded in turn; Kyo just sat there looking angry. The college student gathered enough strength to get to her feet. "You knew about this too, Tohru?" The younger girl nodded honestly. "So, uh…Is this permanent? Did I change you into animals for good?" she questioned, feeling guilty.

"Oh, no, don't worry. We change back after a while but we're uh…indecent?" The euphemism didn't escape Kumiko. She bolted into her new room, slapping a hand over Tohru's eyes as she went, and, dragging the girl inside behind her, slammed the door shut.

_Pop!_

A pause.

_Pop! Pop!_

The raven-haired young woman breathed a sigh of relief as she leaned up against the door.

"That was a close one," she said.

"Oh, yes, um thank you," Tohru replied, bowing gratefully. Kumiko stood up straight and smiled.

"No problem. Us girls have got to stick together, right?"

"Right!" the younger of the two replied enthusiastically. There was a knock on the door.

"Girls, you can come out now. It's all clear," Shigure assured them. Kumiko opened the door cautiously out of instinct, then stepped out when she saw that it was true. "I think you and I should talk about this alone and let the kids get back to their homework," he suggested.

"Uh, okay," she agreed hesitantly, following him into the dining room. They sat across from each other as Shigure began to speak.

"Obviously, Kumiko, you've learned quite a big secret," he began.

"Oh don't worry! I won't tell a soul!" she informed him quickly. He grinned.

"I didn't think that you would, being someone who values her own secrets. No, what I was going to say was that this is, of course, a serious matter. I'll have to inform the head of the family of what happened tonight. If Akito doesn't approve of you having knowledge of the curse, then certain steps will have to be taken to make sure our secret doesn't get out," he explained.

She thought about this, not liking the sound of it. Suddenly her eyes widened in fear.

"You're going to have me assassinated, aren't you?!" she asked frantically. Shigure was taken aback by this statement.

"No, it's nothing like that!" he said quickly. "You see, when it is decided that a person is unfit to know about the curse, that person's memories are erased."

"Erased?" she repeated, feeling worried.

"It's like hypnosis, really," he clarified.

She looked at her hands, brows knit together in deep thought. The idea of someone in her head, fooling around with her memories, taking away a piece of her life that she could never get back; she hated it. Then again, this was a huge secret. If Kumiko's memories had to be erased for the sake of making this family feel safe and secure again, she would do it.

"I don't like it," she told him firmly, not looking up at him. He raised his eyebrows at the rather rebellious statement. "But, if that's what has to happen, then I guess I'll just have to accept it, won't I?" Her dark eyes lifted to his face, filled with resolve.

The dog smiled at her. "You are a brave woman, Kumiko." She didn't know how to take the compliment.

"Thank you," she muttered quietly.

"You should go get some rest." She nodded and got to her feet. "Oh," he said as she slid the door open, "and don't worry yourself over it. _Què será, será!_" The pianist smiled at him.

"Right. Good night." With that she went upstairs and got ready for bed. Tohru was already asleep by the time Kumiko slid under her blankets. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes to sleep.

A few moments later she opened them and rolled onto her side. Two minutes later she twisted to her other side. Then rolled back to the other, and then tossed to the other, then turned back to the first again. Over and over and over again for hours this pattern repeated itself. Finally, she flopped down on her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. The Sandman, it seemed, was having a laugh at her expense.

Her mind was racing. She couldn't stop thinking about the Sohma family's curse and, despite what Shigure said, she found herself very anxious about losing her memories. She didn't notice when her thoughts became cloudy and she began to drift off to sleep.

Kumiko woke up late the next morning and immediately got ready for the day and went downstairs. Once again, Tohru, Yuki and Kyo were already gone. Shigure was watching the news in the living room. He smiled at her when she came in.

"Good morning!" he chimed. "Hatori is coming to pick us up soon."

"Us?" she inquired, joining him at the table.

"Yes, I'm going to meet with Akito today," the man said simply. Her gaze fell a little. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, not allowing her to dwell on it.

"Oh, yeah. I slept fine," she lied.

"Do you want any breakfast?"

"No, I'm not hungry," she replied. This was true; her stomach was in far too many knots for her to feel hungry. A car horn sounded, signaling Hatori's arrival. After grabbing her papers and slipping on her shoes, she and Shigure headed out to the car.

As soon as Kumiko saw Hatori's face, her mind was assailed with more questions. Was Hatori cursed too? Which animal did he turn into? Would any of this matter by the time she got home tonight? She sighed sadly. No, it probably wouldn't. She slid into the back seat while Shigure took the passenger seat.

"Hello, Ha'ri!" the dog greeted his cousin happily.

"Good morning, Hatori," Kumiko said, trying to act like her usual self.

"Good morning," he answered politely.

The rest of the drive was silent and awkward. Kumiko found that the possession of the knowledge of the curse made her feel very self-conscious in the presence of a man who may be under the same curse and who didn't know that she had found out about the Sohma family secret. Having to stop at her soon-to-be former dorm only made the miserable ride that much longer.

She was relieved to get out of the car when they arrived at her school. As soon as she thanked Hatori for the ride, she took off running to her first class. The young doctor watched her suspiciously. He let go of an exasperated sigh.

"She found out, didn't she?" he asked Shigure as they watched her jog across the campus.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" the novelist questioned innocently.

"She made practically no attempt at conversation, she couldn't wait to get out of the car, and…she didn't ask me how I was doing," he explained, pulling out of the parking lot.

"As we all know, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prodigy…" Kumiko's professor, Professor Fujitaka, drawled.

It wasn't that Kumiko had anything against the professor, she actually liked him, but today nothing could possibly keep her interest. Not only was she anxious about the fate of her memories, which rested in the hands of someone she had never even met, she was lethargic from her lack of sleep—two things that did absolutely nothing for her concentration.

_Què será, será, my left foot!_ she thought irritably.

"Are we awake, Miss Hishida?" Professor Fujitaka inquired casually. The sound of her name being called brought Kumiko's attention immediately back to her teacher. Her face was flushed with embarrassment .

"Yes Professor," she answered bashfully. The middle-aged man nodded and went back to his lecture.

When Kumiko's classes were finally over, she walked out to the parking lot her Hatori had dropped her off. Two honks caught her attention and she looked to her left to see Shigure leaning out the window and waving at her. The dog spun around to face her as she slid into the backseat.

"Guess what, Kumiko?" he asked. Hatori began the drive to her old dorm.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

"Good news! Akito has decided to trust you with our family secret!" he exclaimed excitedly. Relief flooded Kumiko's being. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. Her face lit up.

"Really? I get to keep my memories and everything? That's awesome!" she cried when Shigure nodded.

"Akito said that as long as you didn't do anything to expose us, it was alright for you to know about us." Kumiko took a big breath and flopped back against the seat with a smile. "You'll probably meet the others soon. I wonder how fast news will travel this time? When Tohru found out— Wah!" Shigure yelped as Hatori stomped on the break. Judging by the satisfied look on his face, it was on purpose. The girl loosened up her seat-belt enough to look out the window. They had stopped in front of the dorm.

"We're here," the doctor stated, stepping out of the car. They went inside, using the key that was still in Kumiko's possession, and began to gather the rest of her belongings. They stacked her books and trinkets in a corner. Her dishes would have to be sent back to her parents' house for safe keeping. Kumiko was about to go upstairs to pack the rest of her clothes when Shigure asked,

"Kumiko, where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the right," she replied. He darted down the hall and out of sight. "Okay, back to business."

"Actually, I need to speak with you Miss Hishida," Hatori said suddenly. He'd hardly said a word all day. She looked at him curiously. "It's about the curse." He approached her slowly. "You seem to be rather nonchalant about the whole thing. I'm surprised you've taken it so well." He was standing relatively close to her now.

"Actually, I was pretty freaked out before Shigure told me the news," she corrected him. His eyes narrowed just slightly.

"What were you afraid of?"

"You know," she glanced around conspiratorially, "about losing my memories." He stiffened.

"Is that why you're so happy?" he inquired, feeling leery.

"Oh no, of course not! Well, in a way, I guess it is." Now Hatori was confused.

"I don't understand," he stated truthfully. She looked up at him with her emerald green eyes and smiled.

"I'm happy because I get to keep the memories I have of the people that I've grown to care for, like Yuki and Tohru and Kyo," she explained.

His face lightened for a moment. "I see…" Then, the seriousness returned to his features. "This curse is a heavy burden, Miss Hishida. Just…" he trailed off and took a step closer, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

Kumiko was shocked at his gesture. Her heart-rate kicked up a little and a blush crept over her cheeks. "I promise," she answered after regaining some of her composure. He nodded and stepped away. "Hey, Hatori?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she said with a soft smile. The corners of his mouth turned upwards faintly.

"Your welcome."

As they began to gather her possessions again, the pianist felt a question bubble to the surface of her mind. She didn't want to pry, but she couldn't resist the need to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Hatori?"

"What?" he replied.

"You're cursed too, huh?"

The man sighed.

"Yes."

* * *

**A/N: My gracious it's been a long time! I meant to have this up a long time ago, but you know, life gets in the way. If any of you are wondering; yes, my house still has waay too many people in it. Anyway, I made this one longer than usual, because I just think it's something I need to work on. **

**Thank you so so much to all of you who favorited me and my story! And to all those who reviewed! It makes my so happy. XDDD R&R please! I love you all. 3**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, you know how sometimes, the really good Christmas presents get to you a few days late? That's kind of the case here. I originally planned to have this up back in October, but I never was able to sit down and write it. Then I wanted to have it up by Christmas, but for whatever reason, I just didn't get it done. **

**I wanted to make this chapter really special, because it's kind of a landmark for me. I've never had a story make it past nine chapters. XP Plus ten is my lucky number and all. I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I guess you'll be the judge of that. **

**Thank you to ., Moda, for kicking my butt once again. XD And thank you everyone for your reviews! On that note, please send me more. lol **

**Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Festivus, and Happy New Year!**

**-Camie**

**P.S. I already have chapter eleven in the works. It's about half way done! XD**

* * *

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 10**

"Kids! Breakfast is ready!" Kumiko called up the stairs. She stepped back into the dining room, humming to herself happily. Things were finally settling down and Kumiko was getting used to living with the Sohmas. It almost seemed normal.

Almost.

Tohru entered first, followed closely by Kyo. The younger girl raced up to Kumiko with worried eyes.

"Are you sure you want to make breakfast so often?" she asked. "I feel bad for pushing my responsibilities on you." The pianist smiled and put a hand on Tohru's head.

"I told you, it's fine. I have to earn my keep around here, too. Besides, I really don't mind, especially on days when I don't have class."

Tohru smiled back at her. "Okay." Yuki stumbled into the room and dropped to a place at the table.

"Good morning all!" Shigure called, dancing over to Kumiko and resting his elbow on her shoulder.

"Morning," she replied, ignoring the physical contact. "Okay, you guys better hurry and eat or you'll be late for school."

"Oh, Kumiko, you're so cute when you're acting motherly," the novelist fawned as they sat down.

"Disgusting," Yuki murmured groggily.

"What? You don't think she's cute Yuki?" he asked innocently. The teen frowned and ignored him. "What about you, Kyo?"

"Here we go," Kumiko sighed. The red-head's face darkened.

"What are you trying to pull?!" he yelled through a mouthful of rice.

"Ugh, such atrocious manners!" Shigure exclaimed, putting the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically.

"You're one to talk, making all of your perverted comments!" the boy thundered.

"Boys! Stop arguing," Kumiko reprimanded shooting a pointed glance at Shigure, whose eyes grew wide and apologetic.

"Yes dear," he conceded with a small grin. Kyo growled angrily at him and the man snickered.

The rest of the meal went on with Kyo fuming to himself and scattered conversation between the others. When they left for school, Kumiko cleared the table.

"Kumiko? Would you mind playing a bit on the piano?" Shigure asked suddenly when she had finished. He motioned to the full-sized keyboard that they had moved out of Yuki's room.

"Um, sure. But why all of a sudden?" she wondered as she sat down.

"It helps me think is all."

"Any requests?" she inquired, flipping idly through a music book.

"Hm…Something happy," he decided, smiling.

"I could do that," she agreed with a grin. "Let's see…" she said, mentally going through songs she knew by heart.

When she had decided, she laid her fingers on the keys and began to play a quick, bouncy melody. Shigure closed his eyes and waved his pencil around as if he were conducting an orchestra. He clapped when she had finished and she gave a playful bow.

"That was lovely," he praised. "What was it?"

"Just a little minuet," she answered.

"How enchanting!" a voice from behind her cried. Kumiko shrieked and fell off of the bench in surprise. She looked up to see Ayame chuckling and Hatori standing behind him pinching the bridge of his nose in an emotion that Kumiko wasn't sure was embarrassment or annoyance.

"Pardon the intrusion, lovely Miko," Ayame said as she stared up at him, still recovering from her scare.

"No problem," she replied as he skipped into the room to sit next to Shigure. Hatori offered her his hand. Surprised, she took it and got to her feet.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. Just startled."

"I _am_ very sorry about that. It's just that I heard the piano and I've wanted to hear you play for so long, I just couldn't help myself!" Ayame explained. "Now if only I could hear that beautiful voice that everyone's been talking about!"

"Let it be, Ayame," Hatori warned.

"You're no fun, Ha'ri," the white-haired man pouted.

"I wasn't expecting you. What prompted this visit?" Shigure interjected, masterfully distracting his cousin.

"I was bored, to be quite honest! So I went to Ha'ri's to see if he could give me a ride here. What with it being so cold I couldn't walk or I'd risk transforming in public. Luckily, I only had to ask Ha'ri a few times before he agreed to take me. Personally, I think he has some ulterior motive." Ayame finished with a suspicious look at Hatori and Kumiko. The doctor glared at him. "Oh dear, it seems I was right! Hahaha!"

Kumiko had stopped listening long ago, distracted by something mentioned before.

"Transformed?" she questioned suddenly.

"Hm? Oh, yes! I had nearly forgotten," the most dramatic cousin said, getting to his feet and coming to kneel by the girl, "I also wanted to come and officially greet Kumiko as a member of the Zodiac." He caught her chin in his delicate hand and looked deeply into her eyes. Kumiko felt herself turn red.

"No you didn't," Hatori corrected, not looking at him. Ayame released her with an embarrassed air, which on Ayame, Kumiko noticed, looked more like he had gained more confidence instead of losing any.

"So, you really are a member of the Zodiac?" He nodded and gave her a brilliant smile. "Wow! I guess I just didn't think about it before. What animal do you turn into?" she pressed.

"We can't just tell you," Shigure stated. "You have to guess!"

"Huh?"

"Yes, guess!" Ayame agreed. Hatori shook his head in disapproval.

"Idiots," he chastened quietly. His relatives paid him no attention and went on with their games.

"Guess, huh?" she repeated, tapping her chin in thought. The cousins grinned and watched. "Well…You are very confident…The rooster?" she tried.

"Nope, guess again!" they chimed in unison.

"The…cow?" she asked uncertainly.

"Heavens, no!" Ayame almost yelled. Kumiko thought of the other animals.

"Um…"

"Will you two knock it off?" Hatori said. They looked at him, disappointed. Then Shigure piped up.

"Hey Kumiko! Do you want to guess Ha'ri's animal?" he inquired with a suspiciously innocent tone. She was about to answer, "Okay!" when she snuck a glance at the subject of round two of their guessing game. His eyes had darkened and his whole body had gone rigid.

"Don't. You. Dare."

An uncomfortable silence followed and Kumiko looked on as Hatori gave his cousins one of the most threatening glares she'd ever seen.

"Maybe this isn't such a great idea. I'll just slip out for now and do the shopping," she told them and stood up.

"I'll go with you," Hatori informed her. "I wouldn't want you to have clean up the mess if I ended up killing them." She laughed and gave him a smile.

"Thank you for thinking of me," she giggled.

He went to the entry way while she ran upstairs to get her coat and went to the kitchen to get a grocery list. As she came to the door and slipped on her shoes, Shigure peeked around the corner.

"Oh, Kumiko, could you pick up some bean paste while you're out?" he called.

"No," Hatori replied and ushered her out the door.

Once outside, Kumiko started to the path that led to the main road. The doctor looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Where are you going?" he asked. She looked back at him, puzzled.

"The store?" she answered uncertainly. He took his car keys from his pocket and held them up for her to see. "Yeah, but don't you want to walk?"

"Not in this weather," he said, walking to his vehicle.

"But I love walking in the cold!" she exclaimed joyfully. "It makes me feel so energized!" He shook his head.

"Not today. Get in the car."

She pouted, but obeyed with an exasperated sigh of, "_Fine_."

By the time they had gotten to the store, Kumiko was glad she had listened to Hatori. It felt like the temperature had dropped since they'd left the house, but maybe that was because of the warm heater running in the car. They quickly made their way into the store, wanting to escape the chill of early winter.

Kumiko looked over her list as she picked up a basket.

"So what do you need?" Hatori inquired, looking over her shoulder.

"Some bread, a carton of milk, cucumbers, and some leeks," she listed traipsing through the first aisle with him trailing after her. They stopped at the bread and she looked over the different brands. She spotted the one that everyone in the house liked best. The only trouble was that it was on the top shelf and pushed toward the back and just beyond her reach. She stood on her tip-toes and tried to reach it, only to succeed in pushing it farther back. "Oh man," she whined.

Hatori had been looking on with slight amusement while she attempted to retrieve the elusive loaf. Silently, he reached over her and grabbed it with ease. His height could come in handy sometimes. She took a moment to admire his long legs and blushed as she realized what she had been doing.

"Thanks," she said, still red, as he placed it in the basket.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You're looking a little flushed."

"Oh, uh…I'm fine!" she lied quickly as she turned to go down the next aisle.

"Are you sure? Let me see," he requested, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Her blush darkened. "Huh, you don't have a fever," he announced, dropping his hand.

"Must be the cold!" she exclaimed with fervor, walking away.

"I suppose so," the young doctor mused.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she thought furiously. She took a deep breath and hoped her face had returned to normal. Hatori followed behind her, wondering just what was going on in that head of hers. She halted suddenly.

"Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, putting up her finger in a gesture of recollection. "Shigure wanted me to get some bean paste. I'll just—" The man stopped her as she turned to find said bean paste.

"No you won't."

"But he—"

"No." His voice held a certain finality that Kumiko had begun to recognize as Hatori's alone. It wasn't one that she was willing to defy, and so, they continued without retrieving Shigure's requested item.

When they reached the end of the list, they headed over to the leeks. All at once, this place became very familiar to both of them.

"Hey, this is where we met that one day," Kumiko remembered with a grin. The doctor nodded in agreement. "You know, you never did tell me what was bothering you."

Hatori's mood suddenly changed. He frowned and looked away, trying not to remember why he had been so melancholic when they had their chance meeting. The unexpected change did not go unnoticed by the young woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized hastily. "I didn't mean to pry. I was just making conversation and I wasn't thinking." He held up his hand to stop her.

"It's alright. Let's go," he stated simply. She nodded, picked up the leeks, and followed him to the register. When she pulled out her wallet he stopped her and got out his own. "Don't worry about it," he told her. She tried to protest, but he just ignored her.

The girl bit her lip in thought as he paid and they walked out to the car. When they put the groceries in the trunk she couldn't stand it any longer.

"I'm really sorry, Hatori," she said sincerely. "I didn't—"

"Come on," he said, getting in the car. She didn't know whether that meant he had forgiven her or if he was angry with her. After all, she'd never seen him really mad. Worried, she climbed into the car after him. He pulled out and turned down the road going _opposite_ of home. Kumiko's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Um…Hatori, where are we going?" she asked, looking out the window at the grey sky.

"You wanted to go for a walk right?" he said. She nodded uncertainly. "I figured we could go to the park. Honestly, I'm not feeling ready to go back and deal with _those two._" The girl's mind immediately went to Shigure and Ayame, laughing like a couple of hyenas. She grinned to herself.

"I can respect that," she told him. In a matter of minutes, they were at the neighborhood park. "What about the groceries?" she realized as they got out of the car.

"They'll be fine for a while," he answered, already walking along the path. She jogged to catch up to him.

"So, you're not mad?" she questioned as they walked. He looked at her with a softened expression.

"No, I'm not mad."

She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." If Hatori had been upset with her, or even just upset because of something she said, she didn't know what she would do. She wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to be so careful around him. There was just something about him that told her to use caution where his feelings were concerned.

"Burr," Kumiko shivered.

"I told you it was too cold," he reminded her. "Do you want to go back?"

"No! I'm fine. I just need to get my blood pumping, that's all," she replied with a smile. They fell into silence as they continued to walk. There was hardly anyone around, since everyone was either at school or at work. "Hey, look, a bridge," the pianist pointed out, to do nothing if not break the silence.

She rushed over to it and waited for Hatori to meet her. As he walked toward her, he looked up suddenly. She raised her eyebrow quizzically. When she turned her gaze to the sky to see what he was looking at, something cold fell on her cheek. She wiped it off her face in time to see a small snowflake melt in her fingers.

"Snow?" she asked herself and looked back at her companion. He stared upward for another moment and snapped out of his reverie. When he got to the bridge he leaned on the railing and stared at the little creek it was built over. Kumiko studied his face carefully. His dark eyes looked thoughtful and almost…_pained._ She touched his shoulder gently and he gave the slightest flinch.

"Hey, are you alright?" He stared at her intently, as if he was deciding something. Finally he nodded.

"I'm fine."

Kumiko couldn't help but notice the similarity to the way he answered her on that day at the supermarket so many months ago.

"Miss Hishida, may I ask you something?" She watched him expectantly as the first snow of the season continued to fall. "When the snow melts, what does it become?"

She blinked, but gathered her composure enough to answer. "Hm…You mean scientifically? Or philosophically?" she asked, unsure. He shook his head.

"Just answer the question," he told her. She leaned on the railing of the bridge, thinking and repeating the question to herself.

"Well, I think…it becomes…_life itself._"

That was definitely not an answer he had been expecting. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She turned her emerald green eyes on him.

"Well, when the snow melts, it gives life to everything around it. It gives water to the fish and the birds and all the plants and animals. It runs from the mountains and into the rivers and lakes and oceans, going places we might not ever expect. Even this creek we're standing over was probably created by snow."

Hatori studied her closely. Her cheeks had turned pink with the cold and her long black hair flowed easily over her shoulders as the new snow gathered in her dark locks. Her eyes were serene as she thought about her explanation.

"I see…" he said quietly. "Of course, you're not the same…"

Her eyebrows rose. "Was I wrong?" she asked, alarmed. He gave her a slight smile.

"No, not wrong. Just not what I was expecting."

"What was your answer then?" she inquired curiously. He leaned on the railing beside her.

"Spring," he replied wistfully. Kumiko looked at him with a tender expression in her eyes and a soft smile on her lips.

"Spring, huh? I like that."

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**R&R!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I'm back! Wow, that took forever. I've been so busy with finishing up my senior year of high school and starting my first semester in college that I haven't relly had much time for my stories. :( But, I am trying to write a little bit every day, especially when I have a break from school. Thank you all so much for sticking with me, even though I'm a lazy bum. :) **

**On a somewhat random, but not all togther off topic note, I'm getting a bunny! :D Given that, can you guess who'll be making an appearance in this chapter?**

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**Disclaimer- I do not now, nor will I ever, own Fruits Basket. It is the brainchild of the very talented Natsuki Takaya. I do however, lay claim to all of my original characters and plot lines.**

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 11**

The kettle whistled and Kumiko finished preparing the hot chocolate for the kids when they came home. She set the tray down and joined Shigure at the table, with the kotatsu warming her legs. The snow had been falling steadily that day, and although it had stopped for the time being, the grey clouds above still hung threateningly over them. The girl shivered and pulled her sweater closer around her.

"It sure got cold fast this year," Shigure remarked.

"No kidding. I hope Tohru and the boys don't get too cold on their way home," the girl worried. The novelist smiled fondly.

"Ah, Miko, you are too precious." She snorted.

"When did you start calling me Miko anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Just recently. I heard Aaya say it and it just sounded so nice that I decided to use it," he explained. "Is that alright with you?" She blinked.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine. It's just that not many people outside my family call me that." Shigure just kept grinning.

They turned their attention back to the television, with Shigure asking for the occasional tip on his crossword. All of a sudden, there was a loud commotion from outside

"That will be them," Kumiko predicted, remaining perfectly calm. The man across from her nodded in agreement.

"Shut up, you little punk!" Kyo shouted from outside.

"Why don't you come over here and make me, scaredy cat?" a voice taunted. The pianist's brows furrowed in confusion. Either Yuki's voice had undergone an immense change, or this was someone completely new. She turned to her friend for an answer.

"That's not—"

"Yuki? No. No it's not."

The young woman jumped to her feet and ran to the front door. She hurriedly slipped on her rain boots and ran outside without even putting on a coat. In the front yard, she discovered that the usual group of three had now grown to five.

Standing beside Tohru was a little boy with blonde hair and light brown eyes. At first, Kumiko almost mistook him for a girl. Somehow he had gotten away with wearing the girl's uniform, with a pair of blue shorts in place of a skirt and a pair of over-the-knee socks to keep him warm. Although his manner of dress was rather odd, she couldn't see how he could have been the one causing the ruckus.

No, the source of Kyo's irritation was apparently a boy who was facing him in a fighting stance. He was wearing the standard school uniform, but there was no way he was in dress code. Aside from the many piercings in his ears and the necklaces he wore, his hair was impossibly white. Or at least, the _top_ half of his hair was white. His hair line, however, was black as coal.

"Come at me already!" the boy with the black and white hair hollered.

Kyo wasted no time following the command. He punched the boy's cheek, who quickly responded with a blow to the stomach. There were so many kicks and punches being thrown that Kumiko suddenly felt as if she was watching a sparring match on television. It all happened so fast that she didn't have a chance to try and prevent the fight from happening.

"Hey!" she called, running up to the teenagers. "Stop!" Yuki's eyes widened when he saw her rushing toward them.

"Miss Hishida, don't!" he exclaimed, hurrying over to her and putting his thin hands on her shoulders to stop her. "Once they get started, it's almost impossible to stop them. It's best just to let them fight it out."

She frowned. Just let them fight it out? Something about that seemed morally amiss to her.

"But—"

"Just trust me," he insisted, looking at her with pleading violet eyes. She looked at him and sighed.

"Sorry, Yuki, I just can't do that," she apologized, freeing herself from her student's grasp. She stooped down in the snow and quickly packed a tight snowball together with her ungloved hands.

"Hey!" she shouted at the battling adolescences before throwing the snowball at the closest boy, who just happened to be the boy with two-toned hair. He turned just in time to get hit in the face with the projectile. He scowled and wiped the snow from his face, looking for the offending party. His frown turned into a smirk as his eyes fell on Kumiko.

"Heh, well who have we here?" he asked, sauntering up to her. She crossed her arms and stood her ground, staring directly into the boy's harsh grey eyes. "She's pretty cute."

Kumiko ignored him and stepped up to him boldly. "Look buddy," she said, poking him in the chest with an accusing finger, "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just go around starting fights with people." Much to her annoyance, he grinned again and turned back to Kyo.

"What's this Kyo? You need a girl to fight your battles for you?" he shouted across the yard. "You're even more pathetic than I thought!"

"Don't try to pull that with me! She stuck her nose where it doesn't belong and you know it!" the red-head exploded indignantly. The girl in question scowled. This boy was even more volatile and, from what she had heard during their scuffle, had an even more foul mouth than Kyo. Yuki could see the spark of anger in her emerald eyes.

"Miss Hishida, please," he begged.

The strange boy looked back to her, grin still in place. "So you must be the one everyone's been talking about. It's no wonder you got hired as Yuki's piano teacher with looks like those, Doll Face," he sneered. She scowled angrily and with hardly a thought, Kumiko slapped her hand across his face as hard as she could. His eyes went wide and he stumbled backwards a few steps, falling to the snowy ground in surprise.

"That is enough!" she shrieked. "How dare you insult me like that? You have gone entirely too far!" Without any warning at all, he passed out, right then and there. The rest of the group, excluding Tohru, of course, looked a little relieved that he had. She looked around, puzzled. "I didn't mean to hit him _that_ hard!" she defended.

Yuki shook his head and sighed. "No, it's not your fault. This would've happened sooner or later." Before Kumiko could ask what he meant, the little blonde boy came bouncing up to her, a big smile plastered on his face.

"_Güten täg!_" he greeted her happily, grabbing her by the hands and practically dragging her back into the house. "I'm Momiji Sohma," he said as she took off her shoes in the entry way.

"Oh, you're another Sohma?" she inquired, distracted from the earlier situation. "Nice to meet you," she said with a bow.

"Nice to meet you too! Your name's Kimiko, right?" he asked eagerly.

"Kumiko," she corrected. He looked distraught at his mistake.

"Oh no! I got it wrong? I'm sorry. Can we still be friends?"

"Of course we can," she reassured him with a smile, which he returned with great enthusiasm.

"Excuse us, Miss Hishida," Yuki said from behind her. She looked behind her and saw that Yuki and Kyo had a hold of the unconscious boy's forearms and ankles, respectively, and were carrying him like a very large sack of potatoes into the house. She jumped out of their way and followed Momiji into the living room with Tohru trailing behind her.

"So, Miko, did you save the day?" Shigure asked as they entered the room, where he calmly continued his cross-word.

"Not exactly," she answered sheepishly. Yuki and Kyo dropped the boy uncaringly to the floor. Shigure smiled at her knowingly and she began to pour the hot chocolate she had prepared earlier. Momiji planted himself in between Tohru and Kumiko as they all took a seat around the table. He was so small that he fit comfortably in his chosen spot.

"We should've left the idiot out there to freeze if you ask me," Kyo muttered. Yuki hummed in general agreement.

"So, what happened?" the novelist inquired.

"Black Haru," Yuki said with simplicity and disgust. The oldest member of the group nodded his head in understanding.

"I thought so."

Kumiko looked at all the faces around the table, all holding a look of comprehension.

"Black who?" she questioned. Yuki brought his gaze to her face.

"It's a bit of a long story. The boy you met is our cousin, Hatsuharu Sohma," he began. "Normally, he's quite calm. But, he's never been good at expressing his feelings, so he developed a sort of second personality that comes out whenever he gets angry. We call it Black Haru, to put it simply."

"That's about the long and the short of it," Shigure confirmed. The boy revealed as Hatsuharu stirred in the corner. He sat up and glanced around the room, perplexed.

"What happened?" he asked in a much softer and quieter voice than he had used before. Everyone felt a drop of sweat roll down their heads.

"What happened? You—! Aw, forget it!" Kyo huffed and turned his face away from his cousin. Hatsuharu joined them at the table and guessed what he had done.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said sincerely to Kumiko. "You must be Kumiko. I'm Hatsuharu, Haru for short." He gave her a small, polite bow of his head and she returned it.

"Hello," she replied dumbly. She was shocked at the difference between Black Haru and what she guessed to be White Haru. His mannerisms, his voice and even his eyes had changed. They no longer held the sharp steeliness they had before. It was replaced by a softness that made him look gentle and stoic. Her moment of thought was interrupted by Momiji.

"Wow, this is so good!" he exclaimed in awe, taking another drink of his hot chocolate.

"I'm glad you like it," the young woman told him happily. "So, did you guys come all the way here just to meet me?" she asked jokingly.

"We sure did!" Momiji told her. "Tohru and Yuki always talk about how nice you are."

"Really?" Kumiko was flattered.

"Uh-huh. And I can already tell it's true. Nobody who's mean can make hot chocolate this good!"

"You idiot. How does that make any sense at all?" Kyo scoffed.

"It makes perfect sense Kyo. You just would understand it," the blonde said matter-of-factly.

"You little brat!" the older boy barked angrily.

"Kyo, settle down please," the pianist requested politely, sipping her drink. He grumbled unhappily, but obliged. "So," she said, carrying on their earlier conversation, "how old are you two?"

"We're both fifteen," Haru replied. She nearly choked on her drink.

"You're kidding! You're the same age?"

"You saw Momiji's uniform, right?" Shigure asked. She turned to him.

"Well, yeah. But I just figured he had skipped a few grades or something," she said. The novelist gave a hearty laugh. "Well it made more sense than him being fifteen! No offense Momiji."

"None taken." The little boy grinned up at her. "Hey, Kumiko, can you really play the piano?" he questioned suddenly. The young woman nodded. "Wow, how cool!"

"Thanks," she replied.

"Can I hear you play sometime? Can I?" he pressed.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

"Yay!" he exclaimed happily, throwing his arms around her suddenly. There was a puff of smoke and a loud bang. When the smoke cleared, Kumiko found herself holding a blonde rabbit in her arms instead of a blonde little boy.

"Moron!" Kyo hollered, grabbing the rabbit by the scuff of the neck. Kumiko was too shocked to stop him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, she already knows about the curse, so it doesn't matter if I transform in front of her!" the rabbit explained.

"Yes it does!" he countered.

"You really should be more careful Momiji," Shigure chimed. "Kumiko still isn't used to seeing us transform."

"I don't think that's the type of thing you _can_ get used to," Yuki added.

Kumiko snapped out of her daze and took Momiji from Kyo's grasp. Kyo growled something unintelligible and sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest. The young woman ignored him and kept her attention on the little rabbit in her arms.

"Shigure's right, you know. You should be careful," she said gently.

"I'm sorry," he apologized genuinely. "I was just so happy."

The young woman laughed and pet the fur on the top of his head.

"It's alright."

"Great now everyone's happy, so will you two brats go home already?" Kyo asked irritably.

"They can't go home now. It's too cold out," Tohru observed worriedly. He scowled down at her.

"So? Why should I care?"

"Oh, well…I mean, I don't want them to get sick…" she stammered.

"So what?" the red-head exclaimed. The girl cringed a bit.

"Why don't we call Hatori?" Kumiko suggested. "I'm sure he'd take them home, right?"

Shigure nodded. "That seems to be the only solution," he agreed. "Why don't you call him Miko? I'm sure he'd respond to you better than me." She paused, feeling uncertain about the novelist's idea. "His number is next to the phone in my office," he continued before she could protest.

"Guess I don't have much of a choice," she conceded, getting to her feet with Momiji still in her arms. She stooped to pick up the small boy's clothes. "I'll set you down in the bathroom so you can change back and get dressed, okay?"

"Okay," the rabbit replied as Kumiko headed to the other room. After setting him down in the bathroom, she went into Shigure's office. She plopped down in his chair and surveyed his messy work area.

There were pieces of discarded paper that never quite made it to the trashcan scattered about the floor. On his desk were several stacks of typed pages that Kumiko assumed were part of his latest manuscript. A pencil cup had tipped over at some point, spilling at least ten pens across the desktop. The place was an absolute mess. Finding Hatori's phone number was not going to be easy.

After about fifteen minutes of sorting through discarded sticky notes, snack wrappers and notebooks, Kumiko managed to find Shigure's address book. She flipped through it and found Hatori's number. Just as she was about to pick up the phone, a sudden thought hit her like a freight train: she was calling Hatori. She swallowed nervously.

_Oh no… What if he thinks I'm just using this as an excuse to talk to him? Maybe I should tell Shigure that I couldn't find the number,_ she thought, plotting her escape from the now dreaded phone call. _No, then he'll just think I have a crush on him or something, which I don't!_

This internal struggle went on for a few minutes, until Kumiko had finally had enough. "This is ridiculous!" she admonished herself. "What am I, twelve? I'll just pick the phone and call him." She went for the phone again. Once again, she hesitated with her hand hovering over the receiver. The girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed the number before she could have a chance to chicken out and listened anxiously to the ringing on the other end of the line.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"Hello?" Hatori said, his weariness evident in his voice.

"Hi. Uh, Hatori? It's Kumiko," she replied, swallowing her nerves.

"Miss Hishida?" He sounded surprised. "Is there something you need?"

She grinned. "Well, you could say that. It seems Little Bunny Foo Foo has hopped straight though the forest and ended up at our house." There was a silence on the other end of the line.

"I beg your pardon?"

She smirked to herself, internally laughing at both her own joke and Hatori's failure to understand it. "There's some blonde kid here who turns into a rabbit. Know anyone like that?"

He heaved an exasperated sigh. "Momiji."

Kumiko laughed. "Yup! Haru is here too."

He took a deep breath. "Give me twenty minutes."

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**Oh, the frustrations of Ha'ri. :P **

**Happy belated Thanksgiving to you all, even those of you who don't live in the U.S. I grateful for your kind reviews and favorites, and most importantly, YOU! :D**

**-Camie**


	12. Chapter 12

**Surprise! I'm back! And so soon after my last update.I'm so proud of myself. XD I've been trying to write every spare minute I can get. I may not be able to update for a little while, since I'm expecting to have a fairly busy semester, but I'll do my best to get my chapters written and posted. **

**A big shout out to my mom for helping me out with formatting issues I had while I was trying to write. The stupid border line wouldn't go away, even when I hit delete! But then my mom fixed it for me! Yay Mom! Thank you for your magical Microsoft Word wizardry. :D**

**Last, but certainly not least, thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited me and my stories. I've had more hits than ever and it's all thanks to you guys. Thank you so much! **

**Enough of my rambling, on with the show! **

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**Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Fruits Basket. It is the genius creation of Natsuki Takaya. **

The Art of Teaching

Chapter 12

"No, Miko! Don't do it!" Shigure cried.

"This is for your own good!" Kumiko yelled in return.

Yuki entered the dining room, feeling very confused. "What is going on in there?" he asked, looking in the direction of Shigure's office.

"Oh, Kumiko is cleaning Shigure's office," Tohru replied as she passed through the hallway with a basket of dirty clothes. "She said it was impossible to find his address book yesterday because it was so messy. I offered to help but…"

Kumiko's voice floated into the room. "Why in the world do you have a _kite_ under your desk?"

"Oh, I've been looking for that," the writer replied.

"You have not, or else you would have found it."

"No, don't throw it away! No! Miko, you're so mean!"

"I am not!" she replied as she opened the door and stepped into the hall. Yuki peeked into the room to see his cousin laying on the floor with exaggerated tears streaming down his face and his hands outstretched as if he had been begging at Kumiko's feet. The boy rolled his eyes.

"I see Shigure's making a nuisance of himself, as usual," Yuki remarked.

"Yes, but we're at least making progress." Kumiko brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I've found at least a hundred candy wrappers in there." The boy smiled.

"You are a brave woman, Miss Hishida."

Tohru came back down the hall, this time with her arms free of laundry. She stopped suddenly with a dumbfounded look on her face. Yuki and Kumiko looked on in confusion.

"Tohru, is something wrong?" the dark haired young woman asked.

"Well, I…just remembered…Yuki, Hatori called this morning and said he's coming over to give you a check-up today," she explained. The pianist raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Oh. What time?" he inquired politely, so as not to make Tohru feel guilty.

"Noon…"

"That's fifteen minutes from now," Yuki observed. She looked flustered.

"I know. I'm sorry! It completely slipped my mind," she told him apologetically.

Kumiko looked on as the boy calmly approached Tohru and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. With a soft smile he said, "It's alright. These kinds of things happen to everyone."

His teacher knew that, had anyone else made this mistake, even if it had been Kumiko herself, Yuki would have been irritated at the very least. But Tohru was different. He could never be angry with her. There was a difference in the way he conducted himself around her. He seemed more at ease; more free than he did around others. There was a certain brand of acceptance and an unwavering kindness that was Tohru's alone that caused everyone around her to have nothing but affection for her. At times, Kumiko wished she could be more like her; she admired her.

She was snapped out of her reverie by Tohru's determined reply. "Okay, but I promise I won't let it happen again."

The older girl smiled at the scene playing out before her and continued on her way to the kitchen for a glass of water.

_Young love, _she thought to herself. She washed her glass and turned to go back through the living room and into Shigure's office.

"What's got you so happy?" the novelist asked upon seeing her face. She hadn't even realized she was still smiling.

"Oh nothing," she replied, keeping her grin.

"Does it have anything to do with Hatori's visit?" he asked cunningly. She sucked in a breath too fast and choked. "Have I struck a nerve?"

"As a matter of fact, no, it does not have anything to do with Hatori!" she exclaimed when she had stopped coughing.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Shigure sang. She waved it off.

"You're stalling," the young woman observed. "Time to get back to work." She sat down on the floor and began sorting through a stack of papers.

"So what does it have to do with?" the novelist pressed, sitting next to her and watching as she worked. She held up a paper with a plotline sketched on it.

"Do you need this?" He shook his head and she put it into the garbage pile. "Shigure, have you ever watched two people who care for each other interact?" The man nodded with a soft expression. "It's the sweetest thing, isn't it? Seeing how their relationship grows, even if it's plutonic. You know what I mean?"

"I do. I've been watching a certain relationship blossom for a little while now, and it really is a beautiful thing." He rested his chin on his palm, gazing up at her. She glanced at him with a questioning look.

"Whose relationship?" she wondered. He smirked.

"You'll figure it out soon enough." She looked at him skeptically and rolled her eyes.

"Must you be so cryptic?" she joked. The man laughed. She frowned suddenly. "Hey, why aren't you helping?" He quailed at the question, holding his hands up in defense.

They continued on that way for a while, until Kumiko decided that that was enough for today, to which Shigure all too happily agreed. She opened the door and straightened up her clothes before looking up. The young woman felt herself blush a little when she saw him. There he was in her house, or her land lord's house, anyway, well dressed as always, hair falling over his left eye—which was odd to her, considering his otherwise clean-cut appearance—and holding a stethoscope to Yuki's chest: Hatori.

Without even thinking about it, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she walked into the living room.

"Good morning, Hatori," she said casually.

"It's the afternoon," he responded simply. She mentally slapped herself.

_Stupid!_she thought. "Oh, right," was all she could think to say. "So, Yuki, what's with the check-up?"

"It's just a routine visit," the boy answered just as Kyo came into the room.

"Yeah, and Rat Boy's got the lungs of a pre-mature goldfish," the red-head quipped. Kumiko's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuki used to have acute asthma," Hatori answered. "He's grown out of it for the most part, but it's best to check on it every once in a while." She looked around at them all, open mouthed.

"Why didn't anyone mention this to me?" she demanded.

"It's never come up," Yuki said in reply. The young woman was mildly dismayed that she hadn't known about her student's potentially serious health problem.

"But, what if you had had an attack and I didn't know what to do?" Her voice was worried. The boy looked at her as if he hadn't thought of that. Kyo smirked.

"Then maybe we'd get lucky and that idiot rat would be out of my hair for good," he stated. Kumiko was no longer surprised by some of the things Kyo said about Yuki, she knew how much they cousins despised one another, and now that she knew about the zodiac curse, it made more sense. Although, she still wasn't sure what all this talk of winning against Yuki was about…

"You'd love that wouldn't you, stupid Cat?" Yuki hissed. Kyo growled and stepped forward as if he were going to attack the other boy. The musician put an arm out to stop him.

"Not now," she told him quietly. "You're better than that." He huffed and crossed his arms. But, for just a second, Kumiko thought she saw a small smile on his lips as he left the room and went about his business.

Hatori spoke up. "Miss Hishida is right, Yuki. You really should have told her." Yuki sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry, Miss Hishida," he apologized. She held up her hand.

"It's alright. Any other health conditions I need to know about? Transplants? Leprosy?" Yuki laughed and Hatori granted her the honor of seeing his little smirk at her joke. The boy shook his head. "Well, then, I think I'll go help Tohru with lunch. Hatori, would you like to join us?" she asked politely. He glanced up at her.

"Yes. Thank you," he replied.

She smiled at him and went into the kitchen. There, she found Tohru chopping up some vegetables.

"Is there anything I can do?" the older of the two asked. The younger looked around.

"There's some beef that needs to be cooked. Do you mind-?"

"Of course not," Kumiko said quickly. "I came in to help, didn't I?" She washed her hands and began to prepare the meat. "Hatori said he'd like to join us, if that's alright."

"Oh yes, I'm always glad to have company over to eat with us," the teenager told her happily.

They talked with each other as they cooked, the occasional laughter floating out of the kitchen. When the meal had been prepared, the girls set the table in the now empty dining room. (They assumed Yuki had gone to his room and they could hear Hatori and Shigure chatting in the other room.) Once everything was ready, they called the rest of the household to eat.

"Smells delicious as always, girls," Shigure complemented as he seated himself. Hatori came to sit beside Kumiko, and Tohru was sandwiched between Yuki and Kyo.

"Miss Hishida, Shigure tells me that the two of you cleaned his office today," Hatori said, "though I'm more inclined to believe that _you _cleaned while he whined."

"Hey!" Shigure cried in protest. Kumiko snickered.

"Your protest just means that I'm right."

"It's alright," the young woman said, interrupting the coming banter, "I have to earn my keep around here."

"That was far beyond just earning your keep," the doctor responded, taking a bite of his food. Shigure sniffed.

"So, kids, are you excited for Winter Break?" Kumiko asked, redirecting the conversation.

"What's there to be excited about?" Kyo grumbled.

"Lots of things. There's Christmas and New Year's eve…"

"There's nothing good about New Year's," he growled.

"Sure there is. You get to spend all night celebrating with friends and family ringing in the-"

"Yeah? Well I hate New Year's!" Kyo exclaimed suddenly. "It just reminds me of what I don't have!" He jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room. The musician stared after him.

"I didn't mean to upset him," she said, feeling guilty.

"It isn't as if it's very hard to do," Shigure told her nonchalantly. "I wouldn't worry about it." Kumiko looked around at them all and saw that Tohru was the only other person who was watching the door that Kyo had slammed behind him. His cousins just continued their meal.

"Excuse me," Kumiko said, getting up.

"It won't do any good, Miko," Shigure said as she left the room. She glanced over her shoulder.

"It's better than doing nothing," she said, just loud enough for them to hear. She went up the stairs to the boy's room and knocked on the door.

"Kyo?" she called. "Kyo, I'm coming in." She opened the door and looked around. He wasn't there. "Kyo?" she said stupidly. She went into his room and out onto the balcony. He wasn't there either.

_He couldn't have gone too far,_ she thought as she came back inside. She went downstairs and checked the bathroom, it was empty. Confused, she began to search the rest of the house. When he was nowhere to be found, she put on her coat and her shoes and headed outside. She started in the back yard and worked her way around to the front, checking each tree she passed under.

Kumiko sighed as she came to the front yard, beginning to wonder if Shigure had been right. Just as she was about to give up and go inside, something caught her attention. On the side of the house she hadn't checked was a fire escape that led all the way up to the roof. She jogged up to it and began to climb.

She peeked up at the roof and saw his hair before she saw anything else. Feeling accomplished, the young woman stepped onto the shingles where he sat.

"I finally found you," she said. Kyo practically jumped out of his skin. She laughed a little at his reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"You didn't," he replied stubbornly. She frowned and came to sit next to him.

"Listen Kyo, I didn't mean to upset you back there, you know, at lunch. I was just trying to make conversation." Kyo didn't look at her; he just scowled into the distance. "I know that I don't really have any idea what you're going through, but-"

"No one knows what I'm going through, not even my own relatives. I'm an outcast, even in a family of sideshow freaks."

Kumiko's expression changed to one of sadness. "You're right, they don't. But you know what? You were given this challenge for a reason." He turned to face her.

"What reason?" he asked.

"It's because you're strong enough to take it. Could you imagine if someone fragile like Momiji or Yuki had been cursed with the cat? It'd be a disaster."

This seemed to cheer him a little and he smirked.

"You're the strongest person I know, Kyo," she said sincerely. "You're not an outcast, either, by the way. You've got me and Tohru and we care very much about you. And what about that Shishou you're always talking about? He cares about you, too, I'm sure."

The red-head's face brightened as she patted him on the shoulder. "So, you see? It's not as bad as you think it is." She ruffled his hair and he waved her hand away. "Come on," she said, getting up. "Let's go back inside."

"Nah, I think I'm going to stay out here for a while," he told her.

"Okay, just don't be too long." She started her descent down the ladder.

"Hey, Kumiko," he called out. She popped back up over the roof top. "Thanks." She smiled at him.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Kumiko came back inside and walked into the dining room. The table had been cleared and Shigure and Hatori were watching the news. She sat down at the table quietly, feeling a bit sheepish.

"How'd it go?" Shigure asked, keeping his eyes on the television.

"Fine. I think he feels a little better, at least." She wrung her hands under the table. "Listen, Shigure, I didn't mean any disrespect by what I said earlier. I just…" The writer's eyes came to rest on her worried face.

"It's alright, Miko," he replied reassuringly. "I understand that you aren't the type to sit back and watch if you think something is wrong." He grinned and got to his feet. "I'd better get to work on my book, or my editor is going to have my head," he said as he traipsed into his office.

"He's right about you, you know," Hatori commented after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you aren't afraid to stand up for yourself," the man explained. "I heard about what happened between you and Haru," he began. "Momiji told me the whole story, or his version anyway." Kumiko felt herself turn red with embarrassment.

"I was hoping you'd never find out about that," she confessed, not meeting his eyes.

"Actually, I was glad you defended yourself. Not many can literally slap the sense back into Haru and get away with it." The young woman gave a half-hearted smile, then looked away from him again.

"It's not something I'm proud of. I can't believe I lost my temper like that."

"From what I'm told, your anger was justified." She glanced over at him, feeling relieved that he didn't think she was a violent maniac. "Still, I wouldn't make a habit of hitting teenaged boys."

Kumiko let go of a genuine laugh. "I don't plan on it." They sat in silence for a little while, watching television.

"I think it's time I leave," Hatori announced not much later, getting up and heading into the hallway.

"I'll walk you out," Kumiko said, following him. "It was nice seeing you today," she told him as they left the room.

"Likewise," he replied. "It's good to know there's at least one sensible person in this madhouse." She giggled as they put on their shoes.

"You know, I'm glad I moved here," she confided with a smile, "even if it is a madhouse." She got to her feet and looked up at him. "Thanks for convincing me to stay."

"You're welcome," Hatori said, his voice a little warmer than usual. The pair of them stepped outside. "Things have been…different since you came here; happier, I suppose."

"Really? I thought that was all Tohru's doing," she answered with sincere surprise.

"Some of it, yes. But, not all of it." She beamed at him with a tinge of pink on her cheeks that wasn't entirely due to the cold.

"Gee, I didn't know I could have that kind of effect on people," she said bashfully.

"You most certainly do. You have a number of gifts, Miss Hishida, not all of them musical. You have changed so many people for the better in the last four months." Hatori put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her seriously. "Including myself."

Kumiko's face was ablaze. For a moment she thought her heart would stop for all the joy she felt in that instant.

"Well, goodbye, Miss Hishida," he said, turning to leave.

She just stood there for a moment, feeling the butterflies erupting in her stomach at the thought she was entertaining. A little voice in the back of her mind said, _He's leaving! He's leaving! Do something! Say something! Move, you idiot!_

"Hatori, wait!" she called just as he made it down the walkway. She jogged up to him and, standing on tip-toe, kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye."

With that, she turned and went back inside, leaving Hatori stunned in the snow.


	13. Chapter 13

**What up, fellow Furuba fans? Alright, so here's the weird thing, ever since I said that I wouldn't have as much time to write, I've been taking every opportunity I can to work on my stories...Okay, maybe not every opportunity, Harvest Moon sometimes gets a strangle hold on me. XP The point is, I've been writing more since I told you guys that I wouldn't be able to. How ironic! :D Still, I wouldn't say that I'll be updating often, since my classes this semester are keeping me pretty busy. But, this week is my spring break! Whoo!**

**Anyway, enough of me, let's get on with it already!**

**-Camie**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Fruits Basket, as it is the property of the lovely and talented Natsuki Takaya. I do, however, claim any original characters\storylines that appear in this story.**

**The Art of Teaching**

**Chapter 13**

Kumiko was strangely quiet for the rest of the day. When she came back inside, she informed Shigure that she would be upstairs doing homework if he needed anything and promptly went up to her room.

As she sat at the desk and tried to focus on what she was doing, her thoughts kept wandering back to that kiss she had given Hatori. It had felt so natural, far more natural than any other kisses she had given or received.

Then again, what if it didn't? What if she only wanted it to feel that way? How did Hatori feel about it? Her heart sank as the notion crossed her harried mind.

_Oh, no,_ she thought fretfully. Did he even have any romantic feelings for her? What if she had ruined her chances with him for good? Her thoughts went spiraling downward from there. At the end of what should have been a three-hour study session, she had only gotten through a few pages of her assigned reading.

When dinner time rolled around, she continued to keep to herself, picking at her food with anxiety creasing her brow.

"Is something wrong, Miko?" Shigure asked finally. "You've hardly said a word all afternoon."

"And you've barely touched your food," Tohru observed. "Does it taste bad?" she said, her tone already sounding alarmed.

"No, no, it's fine. Everything's fine. I'm just not hungry tonight…" Kumiko reassured them.

After a few more minutes of pushing food around her plate with her chopsticks, she excused herself from the table and cleared her dishes. As soon as she was back upstairs, she gathered up her pajamas and toiletry bag and headed for the shower with the hope that the hot water would calm her nerves.

It didn't.

When she had gotten dressed, she took her time brushing out her hair. She went through it section by section, taking care to untangle each and every snarl she came across. When she was finally finished, she went to her room, and made further attempts to relax before going to sleep. Grabbing the novel she had been neglecting for the past couple of weeks, she crawled underneath her blanket and settled down to read.

Picking up from where she had left off, the heroin had just discovered she was in love with her life-long friend. For months the woman kept her love a secret, but one day, she resolved to tell him her true feelings.

_Ayaka gazed at him, gathering the strength she needed to say the words that so desperately wanted to fall from her lips. "Takeshi, there's something that I've realized lately…"_

_He looked at her with his soft brown eyes. "What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked with concern, reaching over to place his hand on hers. A blush as pink as the new rose blossomed upon her cheek. _

"_No," she said breathlessly. "I just need to tell you something."_

"_You can tell me anything, Ayaka." She swallowed her fear and took a deep breath. _

"_Takeshi, I love you. I don't know how long I have, but it seems like it has been a very long time…Maybe…maybe even our whole lives…" Takeshi was quiet for a moment. She looked at him with her wide innocent eyes. _

"_Ayaka," he began slowly. "I am truly sorry. I just don't feel the same way." He gave her a pitiful look. "I don't see how we could ever be—"_

"UGH!" Kumiko screeched, hurling the book at the door, barely missing Tohru's head as she came into the room. Kumiko put her hands over her mouth in surprise. Tohru stood in the doorway with a stunned expression.

"I'm sorry," she said with a quavering voice. "Should I come back later?"

"No, no, no," the older girl answered, trying not to sound as wound up as she really was. "I just…I just got really into the book and I got…frustrated. Sorry."

"Oh, I see," she replied, still a little shell-shocked. "It's alright."

Without saying anymore on the subject, Kumiko laid down to go to sleep. Downstairs, Shigure was looking in the direction of the girls' room and heaving a heavy sigh.

"I really hope no one is breaking my house again."

A week had passed with no word from Hatori, for which Kumiko was, in fact, very grateful. All she wanted to do now was keep her head down until it all blew over. She felt like she was some criminal in hiding. "The Kissing Bandit," she decided is what they would call her someday. "Infamous for stealing kisses from men who had no romantic interest in her whatsoever."

"Earth to Kumiko!"

"What?" she yelped, coming back to the bench she was occupying with two of her friends after they had gotten out of class. The others stared at her strangely.

"Man, what is up with you lately?" her friend Daiki asked.

"Yeah," Naoko said. "You've been on edge for days now. Is something going on?"

"No…" she lied. Naoko looked at her incredulously.

"Are you having money trouble again?" she asked.

"No, it's nothing like that. Just a little stressed out from school, is all."

The pair of them looked at each other, then at their friend. "You're lying through your teeth," they said together.

"Why don't you just tell us what's really going on?" Daiki suggested.

"I can't!" she moaned. "It's too embarrassing."

"Now you have to tell us!" he whined. Naoko shushed him and added,

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Kumiko shook her head.

"But it _is_. I did something really, _really_ stupid," she said, putting her face in her hands.

"What? What did you do?" the young man asked.

"Come on, you can tell us," Naoko said kindly, though Kumiko could hear the curiosity behind her voice.

She took a deep breath. "So, there's this guy…" Naoko squealed and Daiki leaned forward with interest.

"Is it that novelist I saw at the restaurant?"

"No!" she scoffed. "It's someone else."

"Okay, okay, just go on with the story," Daiki prompted her.

"Well, the other day, he was over at our house and we just got to talking. It wasn't really anything special. But then, when he was about to leave he told me something that was really sweet and I guess I just got caught up in the moment and I…" She trailed off, her cheeks burning. Their eyes were wide with anticipation as they waited for what she was going to say with baited breath.

"What?" Naoko prodded.

"C'mon," Daiki pressed. Kumiko swallowed.

"I kissed him."

Her friends gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Just on the cheek!" she clarified before they could get too excited. "And now I'm afraid that I messed it all up. I mean, I don't think he had any idea that I felt that way and I'm scared that he doesn't feel the same way about me. And if he doesn't, which I'm pretty sure is the case, then I have, without a doubt, ruined any remote chance I had of a relationship with him."

They gave her sympathetic looks.

"I seriously doubt that," Daiki told her. Naoko put arm around her.

"Yeah, everything will be just fine. I mean, what man could resist you?"

"If anyone one could, it would be him," she mumbled, defeated. They hugged her. "I'd better get going." She got to her feet and picked up her bag.

"We'll walk with you," Naoko said. Daiki nodded in agreement. They talked as they trekked across the snowy campus, trying to keep Kumiko's mind off her troubles. When they reached the parking lot, they said goodbye. As she prepared to head in the direction of the nearest bus stop, a car horn beeped two times. The friends looked around, confused.

Kumiko's gaze landed on a brown compact car. The driver held up a hand to her in greeting. Her eyes widened.

"Who is that?" Daiki inquired. She tried to shake off her surprise as she answered him.

"I guess that's my ride," she replied, feeling uneasy. She walked toward the car and peeked into the open passenger-side window just to be sure. Hatori looked back at her evenly.

"Get in," he ordered. She gulped nervously, but obeyed. He pulled away as soon as she was in the car.

The young woman sat silently, too anxious to say anything or even look at the man sitting next to her. The tension was so thick she could feel it seeping into her lungs as she tried to keep her breathing even. The only noise was the sound of the heater blowing through the vents, but to her ears, it sounded more like a roaring cyclone. Just when she thought she was going to explode from the pressure, Hatori suddenly said,

"Are you hungry?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh?"

"Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"N-no…" she replied, feeling confused.

"Good." He made an abrupt right turn and within a few minutes, pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall. He turned off the car and got out, while Kumiko stayed put, bewildered. Hatori opened her door and she jumped. "Are you coming?"

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded. She followed him uncertainly up the nearest sidewalk, wringing her hands the whole way. They passed several shops and boutiques until they came to a little café. Hatori opened the door and held it for her, but she hesitated, still wondering just what in the world she was doing here. The man raised his eyebrows questioningly, and jerked his head toward the inside of the restaurant. Kumiko obeyed his silent command and stepped through the doorway.

The hostess gave them a gracious smile as soon as she saw them.

"Good afternoon. Would you like a table for two?" she inquired politely.

"Yes, please. Near the back, if you can," Hatori replied. She smiled again and nodded, leading them to a small table in the back corner of the room.

When they were seated and the hostess had gone, Hatori calmly read over his menu, while Kumiko suddenly found herself so nervous that she felt like she needed to run a mile just to be able to talk to the man sitting across from her. In an attempt to contain her nerves, she picked up her menu and tried to at least look like she was reading it as she drummed her fingers on the table restlessly.

"Do you mind?" the source of her tension asked, his voice tinted with irritation.

"What? Oh," she said, realizing what she was doing, "sorry." She forced herself to take a deep breath. Without her permission, her leg began to bounce beneath the table.

"Miss Hishida, please," he said, looking keenly at her over his glasses. "Relax." That was the final straw.

"How am I supposed to relax?" she snapped. "I don't even know why you brought me here!"

"I brought you here to have lunch," he informed her nonchalantly. "I would have thought that much was obvious."

"That's not what I-"

"I also brought you here to discuss something. But first, let's order. Maybe some food will calm your nerves." As if on cue, the waitress arrived.

"Ready to order?"

Just before Kumiko could say no, Hatori said, "Yes. I'll have the miso soup."

"And for you, Miss?"

"She'll have the same," the doctor answered for her, again before she could say anything, "but with a cup of chamomile tea." She nodded and left.

"Chamomile tea?" Kumiko asked.

"You're a nervous wreck," he relied simply. She dropped her head in embarrassment. "Now, back to the matter at hand," he began, sounding as though he was in a business meeting. "If you recall, the other day, there was that little…incident between us."

She felt her face flush. "Yes, I remember... But let me explain, I-" He held up his hand to stop her.

"Please, let me finish. I've given a lot of thought to what happened and decided that it would be best if we had a little chat."

_Oh, no. Here it comes… _she thought, bracing herself for the inevitable humiliation. "Yeah, okay…" she managed to get out, her mouth dry.

"There are certain circumstances, of which you are aware, that make my life…complicated. It goes without saying, that social relationships are difficult to maintain for someone like me." Unable to speak, Kumiko nodded to show that she was listening. "Many of us find it easier to simply keep our distance, but you have made that very difficult to do, seeing as how you're so persistent."

He stopped talking as the waitress came by to set down their orders. They thanked her—Kumiko forcing a smile to show her appreciation—and she went on her way. Hatori watched as she walked away, making sure she was out of earshot.

"You caught me very much off guard that day. For the past week I've been thinking about the implications of what happened and I believe that there is something you must know," his voice dropped to a whisper, so that she had to lean in to hear what he was saying. "This curse runs far deeper than you can imagine, and the people who get involved _get hurt_. We've dragged you far enough into this war zone we call a family, and it isn't fair to involve you further."

_That's nice of him, trying to spare my feelings_, she thought, squinting to see the silver lining in this dark cloud.

"But even with that knowledge, I can't help my selfish desire to get closer to you."

Kumiko felt her heart skip more than a few beats. It was like a burst of sunlight had shown itself in the middle of a thunderstorm. For the first time since she had gotten in the car, she was able to look him in the eye.

"Wh-what are you saying?" she choked out. Hatori looked at her sincerely, a little smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and placed his big, warm hand over hers.

"I'm saying…let's just take this slowly."

* * *

**A\N: Cheesy? Why, yes. Yes, it is. I apologize if this chapter was a little all over the place, I wrote half of it in the wee hours of the morning. But, let me know what you guys think! Reviews are love! Flames are lame! :D **

**See you soon.**

**-Camie**

**P.S. If anyone is wondering (or cares) I finally have my house back! Hooray for not having an excessively crowded living space! XD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note: Guess who's back everyone? That's right, me! HAHA! I'm so sorry for not updating for over a freaking year, but life has a nasty habbit of getting in the way of fanfiction. I've been busy with college and church along with other things. I've also been focusing on my original stories and those take precedent over fanfics. I'm hoping to publish within the next couple of years, so be on the lookout for my work! :D**

**Don't worry, I won't leave you guys hanging. I will finish this story. I have some definite plans for it and I might even be able to finish it by springtime. **

**Also, I have a Tumblr now, go follow it and remind me to update! .com**

**Now, without further ado, Chapter 14. Enjoy!**

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The Art of Teaching

Chapter 14

"Kumiko," Shigure called in a sing-song voice. The young woman sat up suddenly, his voice having called her out of a rather lovely reverie.

"Huh?" she asked dazedly. He raised his eyebrows at her from across the table.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" she wondered.

"Daydreaming," he said. "You've had your head in the clouds for a few days now. What's got you so happy, hm?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied dreamily. "I'm just pleased with the direction my life is going in."

The novelist cocked an eyebrow at her incredulously. "Uh-huh," he said, clearly not convinced. However, he let it go, for which Kumiko was very grateful. She recalled what Hatori had told her when he had driven her home the other day.

They had just rolled up the driveway and Kumiko was about to open the door, when Hatori called her back.

"Just a moment, Miss Kumiko," he had said, her first name sounding foreign on his lips. "There's one more thing..."

"What is it?" she asked, happy to stay behind.

"Would you mind if, just for a little while, we kept this between us?" He could see the hesitation in her eyes. "Just until we figure this out," he assured her. She looked away from him for a moment, considering it.

"Okay," she agreed, smiling to dispel her uncertainty. "I trust you."

Kumiko pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked at the clock. _12:30_. "Well, I think I'll get that shopping done," she stated, getting to her feet and stretching her arms over her head. "Anything in particular you want?" Shigure looked up at her from the television.

"Surprise me."

"Easier said than done," she said half to herself as she walked away. She sang to herself as she collected her shopping list and purse and put on her shoes and coat. As she opened the door and stepped out into the cold, she wished that she hadn't had to sell her car. It wasn't that she minded walking or even minded the cold, but trudging through the snow tended to lose its charm rather quickly.

_Oh, well,_ she thought. _I won't be walking for too long, at least._ Kumiko set off down the path with a smile on her face, despite the less-than-ideal walking conditions. She was finding it difficult not to smile these last few days, now that she and Hatori were officially dating, even if they hadn't "gone public" as Naoko would have put it. The phrase made Kumiko laugh, giving her the mental image of herself and Hatori as some celebrity couple, stepping out on the red carpet together for the first time.

As she walked, she entertained herself with silly scenarios of hiding from the paparazzi. Distracted by her own comedic ideas, she didn't notice he car pull up next to her as she walked along the sidewalk.

"Something funny?" asked a deep voice. Kumiko jumped a bit, but laughed again when she saw that it was Hatori.

"Just me," she said into the open window. "I'm hilarious." He grinned and motioned for her to get in. Happy to get out of the cold, and to be in his company, she hopped in and quickly shut the door. "So, where are we sneaking off to, Romeo? Not to an apothecary, I hope."

He chuckled a little at her joke as they drove away. "No. I was thinking something more along the lines of the art museum, if that's all right."

"Sounds great, but I told Shigure I was going shopping, so before I go home I've got to get the groceries," she explained. He nodded in consent, keeping his eyes on the road.

"He isn't giving you any trouble, is he?" he inquired, glancing quickly in her direction.

"About what? Us?" she replied. He nodded again. "A little, but so far it hasn't been too bad. I think he's getting suspicious, but don't worry, I can hold him off."

Hatori raised his eyebrows skeptically. "If you say so." Kumiko cocked her head in confusion, but shrugged and disregarded his comment.

They made small talk along the way. Hatori asked her about school, which was hectic with finals fast approaching. Kumiko responded with a question about his work, which he would be able to finish much faster if he didn't have Momiji to look after.

"You baby-sit? Where are his parents?" she wondered, her tone half curious, half disbelieving.

"His father has to work most days and his mother is…" he hesitated, the young woman's green eyes studying him intently, "away." His gaze flicked over to her, hoping he had convinced her. He hadn't. The look on her face told him that sooner or later, she would get the truth out of him. But, for now, she let it slide, not wanting to force him to talk about things he wasn't ready to discuss. "He isn't there all the time, but he often comes by after school and sometimes on the weekends." Kumiko smiled.

"That's nice of you. He seems like he needs someone responsible to look out for him," she observed. There was the faintest trace of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, though he said nothing.

They turned right, heading into a parking garage beneath a tall building. Hatori led the way out of the garage and up to the museum entrance. Kumiko got out her wallet to pay for her ticket, but Hatori refused to let her pay.

"You're such a gentleman, Hatori Sohma," she said with a smile. He tried not to smile as he took the tickets from the man behind the desk. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. I invited you to come here with me. It would be rude if I didn't pay for you." Kumiko laughed a little. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just so matter-of-fact." Before he could ask what she meant, she took a pamphlet from the front desk and held her hand out to him. "Come on," she said warmly. He gave her a small smile, grasped her hand, and followed her into the gallery.

The first floor was mostly classic pieces. They read from the plaques about the various paintings and statues and Kumiko talked about what she had learned about the different time periods. She told him about the composers of the era, other artists, and who influenced who to do what.

"_The Archangel Leaving Tobias_, Rembrandt, 1637," Kumiko read from the plaque.

"Rembrandt was a Baroque artist, wasn't he?" Hatori asked.

"How'd you know that?"

"I've done some reading, too, Miss Kumiko," he replied simply, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

She smiled self-consciously. "I'm sorry. Am I talking too much?" she asked, shuffling her feet.

He pushed a strand of hair away from her face and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "I like it when you talk." She bit the inside of her lip to try to stop herself from smiling like an idiot. It didn't work. "Besides, one of us has to do the talking."

Kumiko laughed and took his hand again, ready to lead him to the next exhibit. "Well, I've still got plenty to say. Let's go." He held back, his feet rooted to the spot. Kumiko's brow furrowed and she looked back at him. "What's the matter?"

Hatori's olive-colored eyes were fixed ahead of them. She followed his gaze and realized why he was suddenly unwilling to move. Passing in front of them was a large school tour group; boys and girls skipping along, following their teacher and a tour guide.

"Oh," she muttered quietly, the curse coming to the forefront of her thoughts. If one of those little girls accidentally bumped into Hatori, he could transform.

She looked up at him as he watched the tour group intently, waiting for the moment when he could pass without incident. As the group lined up near the back of the room, Hatori and Kumiko skirted around them, making their way out of the gallery and into the corridor.

They walked to the staircase that led to the second floor, Hatori's head hanging in embarrassment. He paused suddenly, staring at the ground. She halted on the step above him and turned back to face him; she was almost eye-level with him this way.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Hey, it's not your fault," she assured him.

He shook his head. "No, but my condition certainly complicates things."

Kumiko reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. Her green eyes shone with sympathy as she looked up at him. "Lots of people have handicaps, Hatori. Maybe that's how you should think of it. It's not so different, really. You just learn how to live with your, uh, circumstance."

He gave a small, bitter laugh and brushed his hand against the left side of his face before taking her hand again. It was a gesture just big enough for her to notice.

"I know all about dealing with handicaps, Miss Kumiko," he said, leading her up the stairs. Her brows furrowed quizzically. "I suppose you don't know; I'm almost blind in my left eye."

She felt as though she had a rock in her stomach. "Really? I-I didn't mean to offend you-"

"You haven't. You just helped put things in perspective." She couldn't help the little grin that worked its way across her face. Hatori was so intelligent, and the fact that she thought of things that he didn't flattered her.

"So, what happened, if you don't mind me asking?" she inquired curiously.

His expression darkened a little, and she wished she hadn't said anything. "There was an accident."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she apologized quickly.

"Don't worry about it. I brought it up." They walked leisurely toward a section of the museum dedicated to Vincent Van Gough. He kept hold of her hand, so she supposed that he wasn't annoyed with her. They kept the conversation light after that, avoiding the subject of the curse.

After about an hour, they went to lunch in the museum café, which Hatori treated her to despite her protests. He asked about her family in Kyoto, and she told him about her parents, who were both retired, and her two older brothers, Ryuusuke, who was a successful lawyer, and Nori, who was an engineer. Music ran in the family, she explained. Everyone played an instrument: her mother played the piano, her father preferred the guitar, Ryuusuke was a violinist, and Nori played upright bass. Sometimes their family was asked to put on recitals, but they hadn't performed together in a long time since all the children had left home.

After lunch, they explored the museum a while longer before deciding that they had had their fill of art for the day. They made a quick stop at the grocery store in order to try to throw Shigure off the scent, although they both doubted he would believe them. After all, who takes four hours to go grocery shopping?

When they returned to the novelist's house, he nearly pounced on them.

"Miko, where have you been? I was worried sick! The thought of my dear little song bird out there in the cold for hours; I was terrified!" he exclaimed as they came into the living room.

"No you weren't," Hatori said flatly. Kumiko smirked and continued toward the kitchen.

"You stole her away, didn't you Ha'ri? How could you, you shameless dog?!"

"You're a fine one to call me a shameless dog," he replied, trailing after Kumiko.

"You're not even denying it! Oh, my precious Miko has been taken like a babe from the cradle!" he continued dramatically. He kept rambling about how horrible it all was as they put the groceries away. The young woman couldn't help but laugh, though Hatori told her not to encourage him.

"I think that's everything," Kumiko said as she put the last of the groceries in the refrigerator. "Would you like some tea?" she asked. He smiled down at her and brushed his hand against hers.

"I suppose I could stay for a little while," he replied. She blushed and grinned stupidly. She couldn't believe how easily the little touch could shift her heart into high gear.

"Okay," she managed. "I'll just heat up the water then." As she got everything together, Hatori waited in the living room with Shigure, who was still ranting about his cousin's wanton ways.

Hatori endured the relentless lecture as well as he could, but in the midst of his persistent clucking and tutting, Shigure was dancing dangerously close to the truth.

"Ha'ri, stop acting so innocent! I know you're trying to steal my Miko away from me! You were out on a date, weren't you?" he exclaimed loudly. As though detecting Hatori's tension, the kettle screeched from the other room.

"I'm going to help Miss Ku-Hishida," he corrected himself. Shigure's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Knowing that he would only make things worse by acknowledging his slip-up, Hatori got to his feet and strode toward the kitchen, avoiding Shigure's shrewd gaze. Just as he made it to the kitchen doorway, Kumiko stepped into the living room.

"What kind of tea—_oof!_" she grunted. There was a sudden eruption of smoke and an all-too-familiar popping sound as she collided with Hatori's chest and fell backward.

All at once she realized what had happened. She looked around with wide eyes before realizing she wasn't even sure what animal she was expecting to find. He had never told her. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, yet. Shigure coughed and pointed to floor directly in front of her.

Slowly, she looked down. If it were possible, her green eyes would have widened even further. Resting on Hatori's crisp white shirt was a little brown seahorse, no bigger than the palm of her hand. Ever so gently, she scooped up the little creature and cradled him in her hands.

"A seahorse?" she murmured quietly. The little fish stared up at her, looking mortified—or as mortified as a fish could look, anyway. "He's a seahorse!" she shrieked suddenly, shoving her hands at Shigure for him to see, her moment of quiet shock giving way to complete bewilderment.

"I know," the man responded.

"But why a seahorse?!" she demanded. Before he could respond, another thought flung itself to the forefront of her mind. "Oh no! Can he even breathe? What do we do?!" she asked frantically.

Shigure calmly rested a hand on her wrist. "Just set him down in my office. He'll change back quickly enough," he told her in a soothing tone. She swallowed and nodded, doing as she was told and neatly folding his clothes and setting them down in the corner for him. The seahorse stared up at her, irritation emanating from his olive eyes. "He'll be fine," Shigure assured her as she slide the office door closed.

Kumiko stared at her feet wordlessly for a moment, her face burning with embarrassment, before turning on her heel and going back into the kitchen. Without speaking, she finished brewing the tea and set it on the table with a few cups. She poured one for Shigure and Hatori before going out on the back porch, closing the door behind her.

She sat on the wooden deck, her knees hugged to her chest, as the past five awful minutes replayed themselves over and over in her mind. She had completely embarrassed herself and, more importantly, Hatori. How else could she have reacted? She was pretty sure that any way other than screaming about how he had transformed into a tiny sea creature would have been less offensive. There was no etiquette for this sort of situation, no _So, You're Boyfriend is a Seahorse_ pamphlet, no set of social rules that she could have followed to make this terrible _faux pas_ less horrifying. She wanted to crawl inside of herself and disappear.

The distinct popping noise that signaled a transformation reached her ears and the young woman hugged her knees tighter, bracing herself for the inevitable storm of repugnance that would surely befall her. Snow fell lightly across the yard as she stared ahead morosely. Now that she had found out a secret that he wasn't ready to share, he would withdraw from her, she just knew it.

The door slid open and shut again behind her and she shut her eyes tightly, readying herself for what was about to come.

"Miss Kumiko," Hatori said softly. She glanced up at him reluctantly. "What are you doing outside? You don't even have your shoes on. You're going to get sick."

"It would serve me right," she mumbled. He stepped forward and held out a cup of tea to her that had escaped her notice before. He didn't look angry, but then, he was skilled at masking his emotions. Surprised, she took it as he sat down next to her with his own cup in hand. They were silent for a moment. Kumiko watched as an unfortunate snowflake strayed into her tea and melted away in the blink of an eye, the delicate little thing now gone as though it had never existed.

"Hatori, I am so, _so_ sorry," she blurted suddenly.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Miss Kumiko. It was an accident," he reasoned.

She gazed at him, stunned. "But, you seemed so upset…"

"I was," he answered. She hid her face behind her knees miserably.

"Oh."

"But not at you, just the way you had to find out. My zodiac form is…well, it isn't something I'm particularly proud of-"

"I know," she interrupted. "I remember your reaction when Shigure and Ayame almost told me what it was. I feel so awful-"

"Please let me finish," he said evenly. Her mouth snapped shut immediately. "Although I had wanted to talk to you about it first, there isn't really any way to break this slowly to someone. None of this is your fault; it's just the nature of my curse."

"Then, you aren't mad at me?" she asked hope returning to her features. He smiled gently.

"No, I'm not."

As if to prove it, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. His lips were warm against her chilly skin, making it all the more shocking. Her heart leapt into her throat and she felt herself turn red as he pulled away.

"Now, come on, let's go inside," he said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. She took it, smiling ear-to-ear, and he lead her back into her warm, welcoming home.

* * *

**Author's note: Well,** **there you go. I hope it was worth the wait. Let me know what you think! Don't forget to follow me on Tumblr so you can see what I'm up to. :D**

**-Camie**

**( .com)**


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